Sherwood House

At Sherwood House in Duncan BC, we value the joy and love that pets bring into our lives. As we age, it is more difficult to take care of pets of our own, but we still want our residents to be able to connect and spend time with our furry friends. This is why we schedule an ongoing Dog Therapy program for the residents of our community. These Pet therapy sessions are not only fun, but are also beneficial to our residents’ health and wellbeing. 

Benefits of Pet Therapy 

Pet therapy is a great form of compassionate care that has been popularized over the years, primarily on school campuses and across communities. The research on pet therapy’s effect on our aging population is remarkable. Pet therapy has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety.  By providing connection and comfort through animals, pet therapy is extremely beneficial for feelings of stress and anxiety. Some studies even show positive results on mental functioning through pet therapy. Playing with animals is also a fun way to increase mobility as we age. 

Our Dog Therapy Program 

Our Dog Therapy program has been a big hit in our tight-knit community. Every Friday morning, residents are invited to come to play with our Saint John’s Ambulance Therapy Dog. She is a lovely Labrador, Border Collie mix who absolutely loves people and greets everyone as they walk by. Her friendly and calm demeanour never fails to put a smile on residents’ faces. Our amazing activity coordinator, Ardelle decided to combine dog therapy with a friendship circle group to create an engaging activity for everyone. Residents enjoy a cup of coffee while they chat and enjoy visiting time with the dog.

 After so many years of Covid isolation, socialization is more important than ever, and we value the need for connectedness. We love this activity so much and look forward to carrying on the fun!

As we move into the warmer days of June, we look back on what a special time we had in May, here at Sherwood House in Duncan, BC. As always, we had fun activities scheduled every day for residents to enjoy. Social events like Bingo are hosted in our tight-knit community, and exercise programs, from Zoomba to chair exercises are offered to residents of every ability. 

We held some extra special events last month, specifically our Mother’s Day celebration. Which featured a movie and popcorn event, followed by a lovely dinner for residents and their families to enjoy. A big thank you to our residents, families and staff for making this event so memorable. The fun didn’t stop there, we also hosted musical performances from local groups. Residents always have great fun dancing to live music. 

Looking forward to this upcoming month of June, we are especially excited to celebrate our families again on Father’s day with a special dinner. As the sunshine starts to come out, we look forward to being able to spend more time on our patio with one another for ice cream socials and outdoor games. The 39 days of Summer free concerts in Cowichan are just down the road from Sherwood House, and residents are invited to enjoy free live music concerts with other community members. 

Lastly, we are pleased to introduce our two new team members. We are excited to have our new activity coordinator, Ardelle and new manager, Daunene on our team. Residents and staff are always excited to have fresh faces around our community!