Blog
Meet Que
November 14, 2019
I was fortunate enough to spend some time with residents John and Mary Wolfe and their black lab puppy, Que to learn about Canine Companions for Independence and why John & Mary decided to help others by working with this organization. Canine Companions for Independence, founded in 1975 is a non- profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs with a lifetime of support to ensure quality partnerships. The dogs are labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, or mixes of the two breeds that are bred in California. Volunteer applicants are put through a grueling process, one that Mary compared to adopting a child. Once selected, the 8 week old puppies are flown to their pre-approved raisers. The volunteers train the puppy for a year and a half, provide socialization and training, pay for all food, classes, vet visits and submit a monthly report on how their puppy is progressing. When the dog is returned to the Canine Companion headquarters, they undergo nine additional months of strenuous advanced training. At this point, with all of Que's training he will be worth about $50,000 and given free of charge to the person he is matched with to become an assistance dog. Que will be matched with whomever requires the skillset for which he is best suited. He might pull a wheelchair, alert a deaf person about sounds, predict an insulin attack for an owner, keep a depressed person with PTSD alive with special companionship, reassure and guide an autistic child, perform search and rescue or even bomb sniffing.
Mary and John have raised and trained 7 rescues in their marriage sometimes 2-3 at a time and many of them were labra-mutts. When asked why they decided to volunteer in such a significant way, the Wolfes said, “We love dogs and think they are important to people. We are 78 years old and if we got a young dog of our own it might out-live us! This is a way we can help others.”
Thank you Mary and John for your wonderful contribution! We look forward to watching Que on his journey.
Proud of the Five-Star Care rating at our Hoy Center
March 1, 2019
The Hoy Center at Westminster-Canterbury is ranked Five-Star in overall quality and Five-Star in every subcategory regarding quality care. Only 8 nursing centers out of 286 in Virginia have achieved this quality standard, and the Hoy Center at Westminster-Canterbury is the only center in Southside Hampton Roads to receive this distinction. We’re proud to say our Hoy Center has received a Five-Star Rating ever since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created the rating system.
The Hoy Center is a small but very important part of our Life Plan Community. While 80 percent of our residents are independent and do not require care, they know the Hoy Center is available to them at any time, should they need it. The assurance of care if needed is one of the many benefits of calling Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay home. What a great piece of mind for our residents and their families to know that just by living in our beautiful seaside resort community, they are guaranteed access to five-star healthcare in the future.
While Westminster-Canterbury residents are always able to access our Hoy Center for long stays, the greater Hampton Roads community can also use our newly renovated Stone Rehab which is located inside our Hoy Center. Stone Rehab is available for short-term rehab therapy following a qualifying hospital stay. At Stone Rehab we specialize in treating cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedic and medically complex cases. Stone Rehab is here to “ Perfect the Art of Recovery.”
To read more about our Five-Star Care rating just click this link https://bit.ly/2IJQdOg
WC People: Meet Charlie Pugh
April 25, 2018
When you think of people winning medals for their skiing skills you probably think of someone in their 20’s. Well here at Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay we’ve got an 80 year old resident who just picked up his silver medal for skiing.
Charlie Pugh decided to take his first skiing lesson while he was out visiting a friend in Michigan about 50 years ago. Between time spent at the beach and keeping up with both Hokie football and his grandkids, Charlie doesn't hit the slopes as often as he would like during the season. But he says “it’s kinda like riding a bike. You can run the course fairly well if you concentrate.”
He ran the course in Squaw Valley, California very well this year at the NASTAR Nationals. That’s where he received his silver medal for the bronze division. The divisions are determined by the amount of skiing each participant has done in the past few years and what type of resorts they've skied. Mr. Pugh qualified for the event while skiing at Wintergreen this season. This is his fourth time competing at Nationals. He says it’s a wonderful experience not just because of the exciting atmosphere but also because the pace setters for the event are all Olympic Champions.
For 45 years Pugh has been a member of a local ski club called Moguls. He says while the basics of skiing remain the same, the equipment sure has changed tremendously over the years.
Pugh has skied all around the world but says when he was in Austria and saw people of all ages skiing he realized “If you’re physically fit you can ski at any age.” That’s why he hits the gym six times a week doing cardio and strength training. He’s worked out most of his life beginning when he played high school football and baseball. While he’s proud of his latest medal he says one of he greatest accomplishments and joy of his life is having had the opportunity to teach his granddaughters to ski. Now he says “keeping up with them is the hardest part.”
A Guided Tour of the Holy Land
November 30, 2017
If you’ve ever thought of touring the Holy Land now might be the perfect time to do it! Plus what better way to go than with a wonderful tour guide and a couple dozen like-minded friends. Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay Chaplain Doug Gray is organizing a trip with a tour guide who promises to make the land of Israel come alive for you.
David Hyman has been a National Parks Ranger in Israel, an Israel Defense Force Paratrooper Officer and a Counsellor for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Having been born in England and raised in Jerusalem David has a unique love for the land of Israel. He will show you Israel from an archeological and historical perspective. He says you will also get a chance to feel the land, meet the people and experience the culture of the land he loves.
Chaplain Gray will provide Bible teachings along the way. The trip itself is scheduled for April 2018. It will be an eight-day tour with one day on either end for travel. All the travel arrangements are being made by Kedma Travel in Israel.
Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay President and CEO Ben Unkle has been on the trip twice. He says initially “I wasn’t prepared for the emotional impact of the trip.” The first time he went alone but he knew the next time he had to bring his wife Barbara with him. He says “it was such a great experience and so good for both of us.”
We hope to have 20 to 35 Westminster-Canterbury residents and friends join us on this amazing trip. If you want to find out more about the trip contact Chaplain Doug Gray.