Students from Ajax spent a day inside a Whitby retirement residence built to feel like a village rather than an institution, meeting residents face-to-face and pitching their own ideas for improving life there.
Health and Wellness Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students from Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School in Ajax joined peers from Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School in Oshawa for a Sector Partner Experience at Taunton Mills Retirement Residence, according to the Durham Catholic District School Board.
The visit gave the students a close look at careers in the long-term care and seniors' living sector, a field many of them are preparing to enter through their specialized program.
A warm welcome
Students arrived to find tables set out with refreshments in a gathering space, the board said. Members of the Taunton Mills team introduced themselves, including managers, the CEO, a physiotherapist, personal support workers, chefs, activity directors and neighbourhood coordinators.
The day opened with videos about residents' experiences in the Taunton Mills family of homes. The board said students were particularly moved by the story of a 94-year-old resident who fulfilled a lifelong dream of skydiving, and by a resident who arrived with limited mobility but, with determination and support from the care team, was able to dance with his daughter at her wedding.
The residence's Director of Education told students the home encourages residents to embrace the changes in their lives while still enjoying meaningful experiences and opportunities in the community.
A 'Main Street' inside the home
Students then met one-on-one with residents for guided conversations about their life experiences and daily routines, before touring the building.
What struck them most, according to the board, was the design. The residence is built around a "Main Street" lined with amenities, including activity centres, a library, a post office, a seniors' centre, dining spaces and a bar. Students remarked on how much it felt like a neighbourhood and a home rather than an institution.
Ideas presented back to residents
After lunch prepared by the residence's culinary team, students took part in a design challenge: propose ways to enhance the resident experience, or suggest new activities and programs to build on those already offered.
Working in teams, students created posters and presented their ideas. The residents they had met earlier in the day returned to listen — a moment the board described as especially meaningful. Suggestions included Spirit Week celebrations, multicultural events and resident-led fashion shows hosted in The Ruby, the residence's penthouse restaurant.
By the end of the day, students were still talking about the experience, the board said, inspired by the residents, impressed by the facility and grateful for the chance to learn from the professionals who work there.
The board thanked the Taunton Mills team for its hospitality and said it would welcome a return visit. Students interested in SHSM programs can speak with their school's guidance department for more information.
