To the Editor:
Yesterday I attended a luncheon at Orchard Haven and a cup of coffee was accidently spilled. I cringed when I saw one of the girls throw a handful of clean, light-coloured tea towels on the floor to mop it up off with. I finished wiping up the last of the drops around the edges of the spill and was amazed when I picked up the tea towel that there was not a speck of dirt on it – only the coffee stain.
This is a testament to the cleaning practices at Orchard Haven. Every time I go there I see the cleaning staff washing down banisters, furniture, and floors. They are always smiling and pleasant. There has never in all the years I’ve visited OH been a bad smell anywhere (not like the private facility I used to visit in Alberta where the staff were sitting around visiting each other and the place smelled so bad it took your breath away). The cleaning staff at OH is unionized and well-paid and it’s reflected in their work.
Orchard Haven was built 11 years ago and was the last of the government built care homes. In those 11 years there has been only one outbreak of illness. Compare this to our hospitals, where the cleaning staff has been cut to a bare minimum.
We have much to be thankful for in this community with our excellent care facilities.
Donna Stocker, Cawston
