The Vital Beat

All stories

The art Lorraine Oberg donated to the Misericordia Community Hospital is very personal. In this painting, "Memories," you see a Cossack sculpted by Lorraine’s brother, an ostrich egg her daughter made and cross-stitch from her aunt Vicky.

Artist offers hope and healing with Wall of Gratitude

“My family lives in those pictures.” Faced with tragedy, many turn inward. Artist Lorraine Oberg chose a different path, turning grief ...

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Meeting dancers from the Russian Ballet, after their production of Romeo and Juliet at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium, was a highlight for Joan McGregor.

Advocate changes outlook and purpose for resident

For Rhonda Steinwand, an LPN at Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital in Castor, mental health has always been her passion. ...

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Students from Beaumont interviewed local seniors, wrote a formal script based on the stories they shared and developed a theatrical piece.

Students bring seniors’ stories to life onstage

Music from the ‘40s and ‘50s fills the air as you walk into the dimly lit drama studio. A single spotlight ...

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Kevin Hermary hugs his mom Chris Hermary, who lives in a special memory cottage at Villa Marie in Red Deer. It is one of four sites in the country to offer the Butterfly Project.

A new look and feel for dementia care

Entering the dementia cottage at Red Deer’s Villa Marie is an unexpected yet delightful assault on all five senses. Brightly painted ...

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The dining room in the dementia cottage at Villa Marie in Red Deer is painted to resemble a diner and drive-in movie. It is all part of the site's new approach to dementia care.

Transforming dementia care with a can of paint

Commentary by Truman Severson, President of Covenant Care Over the course of my life I have been around people who have ...

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Carla Genereux, RN and Elder Friendly Care Project Co-ordinator, removes Jim Wenger’s Broda chair lap belt restraint as part of the new least-restraint policy.

Orthopedic team reduces restraint use by 84 per cent

The orthopedic team at the Misericordia Community Hospital is moving towards a restraint-free environment. Many orthopedic patients are elderly and very ...

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