A care home specialized

Where does the name Campanile come from?

A campanile is a small steeple, usually part of the frame, on the top of a building. The campanile or small steeple evokes a gathering place, warm human relationships, and a reference point for people.

What sets the Maison au Campanile apart from other seniors’ residences?

It is a care home specialized in the interventions for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, where the intervention philosophy relies on the principles of the person-centered approach.

The Alzheimer Society Rive-Sud has developed a considerable expertise with people suffering from cognitive disorders. The Society proposes innovative solutions that offer an alternative to traditional resources.

The personnel working in the Maison au Campanile develop with the residents and their families a relationship based on trust, collaboration and respect of their beliefs, culture, history, education, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental condition, etc.

How does the Maison au Campanile work?

• There are 22 rooms divided in 3 living environments: the Yellow Home (9 rooms), the Green Home (4 rooms) and the Blue Home (9 rooms).
• Each home is a family unit, comprising private rooms, a dining room, and a living room.
• The residents live at their own pace, according to their personal habits.
• They have access, at all times, to a therapeutical garden.
• The members of the families are always welcome because their involvement in their relative’s life is strongly desired and encouraged.

Is my loved one eligible?

To evaluate if your relative can benefit from the Maison au Campanile housing service, here are some of the admission criteria that the future resident must fulfill. Please note that an exhaustive evaluation must however be carried out by our team:

• Being diagnosed with an early or middle stage of Alzheimer’s disease or another neurocognitive disorder.
• Having the sufficient capacities to accomplish specific activities of daily living.
• Having the adequate personality to live as part of a community, in group.
• Having the capacity to enjoy the offered activities and stimulations.
• Being able to move by themselves and being able to use the stairs.
• Living or having caregivers living in Montérégie.
• Having a treating physician.

Person-Centered Therapeutic Approach

At the Maison au Campanile, we apply the principles of the person-centered therapeutic approach. Despite the illness, each person keeps their unique and distinct personality. Therefore, the specialized personnel live the residents’ daily life, supporting them in their beliefs, culture, history, education, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental condition, etc.

The respectful way we look at a person has an influence on their evolution and quality of life and determines the orientations that guide the Maison au Campanile’s vision of the services, care, and organization. The care home offers a wide range of services and activities specifically designed for the people’s needs and their ability to benefit from them.

The person-centered therapeutic approach prioritises the relationship between the person suffering from the disease, the various employees, and the caregivers. Thanks to a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, the afflicted people can keep their sense of belonging, feel safe and preserve their self-esteem.

The Maison au Campanile’s Therapeutic Garden

The Maison au Campanile was the first care home in Montérégie to have a therapeutic garden in 2011. The benefits of such gardens are numerous. The residents are free to go out of the building, to a safe environment. People that are suffering from the early stage of the disease can practice their horticultural hobby and feel useful by taking care of the garden. The residents that are more severely affected and who need more specific care can wander in the garden. It provides a place for the residents to be stimulated by a gentle breeze, a flower scent, the singing of the birds or the sound of a wind chimes.

The therapeutic garden serves the needs of people suffering from cognitive disorders. Its alternation of landmarks (constituted of trees, shrubs, flowers, some ornaments, and benches) allows to avoid the risks of disorientation and the resulting distress, while bringing calm and peace. According to a study conducted by the Youville Hospital in Sherbrooke, positive impacts are noted on the users of therapeutic gardens such as increasing of their physical strength, enhancement of their communication with other beneficiaries and improvement of their mental health (mood, orientation). The users are happy to go to the garden and they have a better night’s sleep.

Each year, during the garden opening and closing chores, teams of volunteers coming from various companies located in Montérégie, can get involved in our community and become aware of Alzheimer’s disease. It is also a good occasion for local companies to contribute by donating soil, materials, equipment, and plants.