By Deron Hamel
Westmount Gardens, a London, Ont. long-term care home, is the winner of the Epilepsy Support Centre’s 2016 Purple Day Challenge, an annual contest where seniors’ care homes raise epilepsy awareness.
Now in its second year, the Purple Day Challenge was launched to recognize the increasing prevalence of epilepsy in the senior population as the baby boomer generation ages.
Recognized every March 26, Purple Day was launched in 2008 by Cassidy Megan, a then-nine-year-old Nova Scotia girl who was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was seven. Cassidy had one goal for Purple Day: for people to come together globally to learn about epilepsy to reduce its stigma.
On Purple Day, Westmount Gardens hosted a variety of activities focused on epilepsy awareness. A speaker was also brought in from the Epilepsy Support Centre to give an information session on epilepsy and seizures.
The long-term care home’s residents and staff members were encouraged to wear purple, and there was also a purple jelly-bean count and epilepsy trivia. The centrepiece of the day’s activities was a “purple buddy,” a purple blanket knitted around a stuffed toy cow that was made by resident Marguerite Sivak.
There was also an abundance of information pamphlets about epilepsy and seizures that was distributed to residents, staff members and visitors.
“We had a lot of resident involvement and we had great support from residents and staff on Purple Day,” says Connie Redmond, Westmount Gardens’ life enrichment manager, noting there are residents at the home who are living with epilepsy.
Jeremy McCall, the client services manager for the Epilepsy Support Centre, says the agency is impressed with the effort Westmount Gardens put into the Purple Day Challenge.
“Westmount Gardens really blew us away as they rose head and shoulders above the competition in terms of breadth, depth, and variety of events and opportunities for their residents to become involved, learn, ask questions and enjoy themselves,” he says.
“We are honoured to have their support, and sincerely congratulate them for their win.”
The Epilepsy Support Centre and Westmount Gardens will be having a celebratory party in the near future to recognize the home for its hard work raising epilepsy awareness.
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