Archives

An Impressive Evolution
By: Alleda Nixon
Horace Wales came to Canada, and Richmond, from the United States.A number of young men came from the British Isles about the same time to make their fortune in the new world. They weren’t all successful; they often worked for “bed and baccy” (tobacco). As they grew old with no-one to take care of them they were lost. Mr. Wales left instructions in his will, to build a Home for elderly, protestant, men living in the Eastern Townships. In the early days they helped with the chores, kept a few hens and a garden to help pay for their living expenses.
 

Time passed. More space and more staff were needed. In 1940 the Norton family financed a wing on one side of the building, complete with furnishings. Women were added to the residents, the staff increased, and arrangements were made for them to “live in” as part of their salary.

The first Matron was Lucy Shaw R.N. The Shaw Wing was added in1952-1953 fiscal year. Christmas dinner was served in the Shaw Dining room in 1953, but no one moved in until 1954. Miss Shaw helped with the work, even going as far as hanging the clean clothes from the laundry on clothes lines in what is now the parking lot.
 
Again time passed. The fourth floor of the Shaw Wing was added and the Norton Wing was extended in 1954. At the time there was a waiting list for admittance. In 1969, Dr. Manning supervised the addition of one hundred and fifty feet of building, attached behind the Shaw Wing. It was named the Manning Wing to mark Dr. Manning’s dedication. The Shaw and Manning wings are now 300 feet long.
 
In those early days, the Home ran on a shoe string. Each purchase was contemplated, debated and considered. At one time the Dr. and Mrs. Armstrong (Matron) debated the expenditure of $7.00 for a Santa Mask for Christmas. Bed Patients slept on rolls of newspaper and the nurses read last week’s headlines while giving their patients a bed bath. Worn sheets were patched or turned into bed sheets. Meals were adequate. Only diabetics had special meals planned for them. Wheel chairs were not allowed in the dining room. Yesterday’s leftovers became soup for tonight’s supper; meat was bought by the carcass and cut as needed by a man who also bought the food. The men had a “Smoke Room” and those big empty cans that fruit came in were recycled as spittoons, one by each chair. Some rooms had one resident, some had two, and a few had as many as four occupants. Talk about togetherness!
 
When Lucille Farley became Matron’s assistant and then Matron, things began to change. First to go were those torn and patched sheets. Menus were planned weekly. Money became available for a few Christmas decorations, and new chairs appeared in the living room. Things have continued to improve until today when we just about have the world by the tail- and swinging!

We no longer have a butcher, meat comes in ready cut, and there is a second choice at every meal. Wheel chairs are welcome in the dining room, and newsprint no longer graces patients’ posteriors . They lie on neat little waterproof pads that can be washed in the laundry. There are a number of committees watching over every aspect of life at Wales Home. A User’s Committee consisting of a resident representative from each floor is entrusted with listening to complaints from residents, passing them on, and watching to see that measures are taken, a great way to ensure residents’ opinions are heard. Extra attention is paid to special diets and preferences, and a dietician is in charge of auditing meal plans to ensure the meals are balanced and the food is of good quality.  A second choice is provided at each meal. The only thing left to ask for would be a buffet! There is a therapist to make sure we get enough exercise. She holds “class” three times a week. We have an activity coordinator to keep us busy. And she does, with weekly trips to Richmond each week, lunch outings, bingo, and game of 500 thanks to a group of volunteers. Since we live in the country, we have our own little shop that opens twice a week manned by volunteers. It is stalked with treats, Kleenex, toothpaste, greeting cards, stamps and all the little things one might need on the spur of the moment. Church services are brought to us each Sunday afternoon by clergy of different denominations. Afternoon teas are supplied on Fridays by a number of Women’s Groups, and a birthday tea each month takes care of the month’s birthdays. Children from the schools come to entertain us with their singing and dancing. We have movies once or twice a month, a group comes from Roxton Pond area to sing hymns and pray for us and many other musicians come to sing for or with us, or to play dance music. Lately, we have even had a caller for square dancing. The library is stocked with books of all sorts. Let me tell you the golden age is pretty well tarnished before a person can find nothing to do around here!
 
On top of all this, there is a friendliness about the place between staff and residents. Staff seem to feel that we are their grandparents and we feel they are our children. They all go out of their way to keep us healthy and happy. Horace Wales would sure be surprised to see how huge his little refuge has grown in eighty-five years.