WIIKWEMKOONG – “All of our staff willingly got their vaccinations back in January,” confirmed Wiikwemkoong Nursing Home administrator Cheryl Osawabine-Peltier. “They all rolled up their sleeves and got down to it without being asked. A couple were hesitant at first, but they eventually came around. They understood the importance. Our staff always goes that extra step and beyond.”
A new hire is in the process of getting the vaccination, she noted, having received the first dose and is scheduled for the second one.
The nursing home staff are mostly younger, noted Ms. Osawabine-Peltier. “That really helps with doing the online stuff the residents are into,” she laughed, noting Wiikwemkoong Nursing Home residents have launched their first TikTok video.
“They have been doing our own version of ‘Fear Factor’,” she said. “They made up all these gross sounding things to eat—but of course they were all really delicious,” she laughed.
Although the nursing home now has a vaccination policy, Ms. Osawabine-Peltier said that it hadn’t proved necessary as all staff were fully vaccinated before the policy had been set to paper. “We had a vaccination policy long before the province’s came down,” she said.
The nursing home is looking forward to the launch of this year’s Angel Tree fundraiser, which should be launched soon.
