Extendicare Athabasca

How we help enrich lives

If we are going to help our residents live better, then it is our responsibility to offer them every opportunity to be actively engaged and involved. At Extendicare Athabasca, we provide social and recreational services seven days a week - including holidays. These services are designed to meet the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of our residents. All activities are developed, organized and led by qualified staff and we offer both group and individualized services to meet residents’ unique needs and circumstances. Examples of our recreational services and activities include:

  • 90 Minutes Northeast of Edmonton: Our home is located in a quiet, residential neighbourhood in the south end of town. Inside our home, we make every effort to create a warm, friendly atmosphere by minimizing the signs of the health care system and maximizing the signs of a welcoming inviting home. Outside our residents enjoy beautiful landscaped grounds with gardens, walking paths, benches and the deer often seen grazing near our home.
  • Sensory Sessions: As part of the AUA program, we have regular group and one-to-one sessions where we use different tastes, textures, smells and sounds to stimulate the senses and trigger reminiscing among residents with dementia.
  • Music and Memory: Residents living with dementia can have their own personal playlist loaded on an iPod and listen with earphones to their favourite music. We also use other forms of music therapy as part of our AUA program to help soothe and relax residents with dementia.
  • Sing-a-long and Karaoke: Regular sing-along groups and Karaoke are popular with our residents.
  • Seated Exercise Classes: We have seated exercise classes twice a week that focus on strength, range of motion, balance and flexibility.
  • Daily Walking Programs: We also have a daily therapeutic and recreational walking programs led by staff.
  • “Reach for the Top” Trivia: Every month we have our own version of “Reach for the Top” where we compete with 7 other area homes in a trivia game show.
  • Baking and Cooking Group: Our Baking/Cooking Group meets once a week and other residents and staff are always ready to enjoy the tasty finished results.
  • Horticultural Program: Gardening is a year ‘round activity for residents in the Horticultural Program. They enjoy having a dedicated horticultural room and greenhouse so they can start their flowers and vegetables in winter and have them ready to plant in spring. They even have a plant sale every spring that is a big hit with gardeners in the community.
  • Live Entertainment: We have live entertainment twice a month featuring a variety of different performers from the community.
  • Monthly Birthday Celebration: At our monthly Birthday celebration is enjoyed by all and includes a cake and singing “Happy Birthday” to residents with birthdays that month.
  • Monday Movies: Residents look forward to Movies and Popcorn every Monday.
  • Pet Therapy: We have as many as three pet therapy dogs visiting our home regularly and we have one resident cat and a cockatiel.

We also offer a wide range of physiotherapy, cognitive, speech and occupational therapies according to the needs of our residents. Currently we offer:

  • Occupational Therapist
  • Respiratory Therapist