Warm Beach Senior Community

New Swing, New Equipment and Renovations

— Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 by Sarah Bartlett

A soft ride on a swing, such a seemingly small pleasure, is one of those simple things in life that has the uncanny ability to bring big smiles, whether on the freckled face of a girl with pigtails, or the weathered face of a senior citizen.

Unfortunately, as many senior citizens find themselves confined to wheelchairs, the simple pleasure of sitting on a swing or glider becomes significantly more difficult, and often impossible. Therefore, when Warm Beach Senior Community welcomed a brand new Whisperglide Swing for its residents, it was a blessing for many wheelchair-bound residents.

The innovative Whisperglide Swing is a glider featuring a bench on one side, and a wheelchair accessible area on the other, so friends and family can enjoy a relaxing afternoon of conversation, socialization, and building memories on the glider together. The purchase of the swing for Warm Beach Community was made possible by a generous grant from the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians.

Many wheelchair bound residents haven’t enjoyed a ride on a swing in many years. One resident said he never thought it would be possible for him to do so again, and couldn’t stop smiling at the thought of enjoying a ride. Warm Beach held a special dedication on May 27^th to celebrate the addition of the swing, and drew names to determine who would enjoy the first ride- an honor that went to lucky residents Glen and Alma Moore.

Warm Beach also recently completed renovations to their swimming pool. For residents for whom mobility is difficult, a swimming pool can offer valuable exercise, relief, and therapy, or simply a few hours of fun. Their complete overhaul of the pool area involved updating drains to comply with new swimming pool laws, new fiberglass lining the pool and spa, adding more ecologically sound lighting, adding a new security and emergency alarm system, and a new paint job. The Environmental Services department worked long hours to get the entire job done in less than two months, providing the least amount of disruption possible for residents who use the pool. Jim Hoffman cut the ribbon at the unveiling ceremony at 6:00AM on June 1^st.

Working with wheelchair-bound residents can sometimes be difficult on staff members also. Warm Beach Senior Community’s Second Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction on April 17^th, supported by residents, staff, family, friends and local businesses, raised proceeds to help buy a Vanderlift 450 for the health care center, which is able to serve 81 residents, many of whom use wheelchairs to get around. The Vanderlift 450 makes it easier for residents to move around, while minimizing the amount of heavy lifting that staff members have to do, which helps to prevent injury and saves time. On May 27^th, Director of Nursing Laura Hoffman demonstrated the proper way to use the Vanderlift in a dedication ceremony.

Board members, management staff, residents, family and friends were in attendance for the dedication ceremony, celebrating the new additions to the community that help make residents’ lives as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.