News Room

A long-term care home in Gananoque has been named Business of the Year for 2020. The prestigious award recognizes a business that has demonstrated responsible business leadership and harmony within the community. It was presented to Carveth Care Centre, a combined 150-person retirement lodge and long-term care home, by the 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 26, 2020. According to Amy Kirkland, Executive Director of the chamber, “This business was nominated for their amazing diligence and their tireless, continued efforts, put forth to ensure safe practices of care…

A home for seniors in Amherstview has recognized a Kingston woman for her exceptional work. Adrianne Hollington smiles when informed she is the Employee of the Month for December at Helen Henderson Retirement Lodge. “It’s very exciting,” says the 29-year-old from the popular home. “I put a lot of heart into working here. I love the residents and I try to encourage them during this time of crisis. I’m honoured and humbled I would even be selected for this award.” Hired by the home last April, Adrianne did such a…

(NOV. 11, 2020) Public Health has declared the COVID-19 outbreak OVER at Helen Henderson Care Centre in Amherstview. The outbreak was limited to one-resident and one-staff member who were identified as positive on Oct. 27 by Kingston, Frontenac, L&A Public Health Unit.  Since early March 2020, the home has followed strict, infection prevention and control precautions to protect its approximately 170 residents. In conjunction with Public Health and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Gibson Family Health Care has implemented comprehensive strategies to prevent and respond to COVID-19. As…

The easiest way to lead an interesting life is to keep your eyes, ears and heart open. Marion MacKinnon has done just that. Born in the Roaring Twenties, she attended Queen’s University in the 1940s and remained involved with Queen’s her entire life. After graduation, she joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) to help the Allied Forces win WWII.  Following the war, Marion attended Osgoode Hall Law School, which was a rarity for women back then, and became a lawyer. Although she never practiced law, she raised four children…

Today we learned from KFL&A Public Health that one resident at Helen Henderson Care Centre has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident is asymptomatic and self-isolating.  Public Health has also deemed a staff member a positive case. The staff member is asymptomatic and self-isolating.  Helen Henderson Care Centire is working closely with KFL&A Public Health to manage this outbreak. Infection control measures under the Long-Term Care Home Act have been put in place to manage the outbreak and are being monitored by KFL&A Public Health.  “In the last seven months,…

Bessie Meeks is a survivor. Born during the Spanish Flu of 1918 which claimed 20 to 50 million victims, Bessie turns 102 on Sept. 29 during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 which has claimed almost one-million victims in less than one-year. That’s two world health crises in one lifetime. That’s resilience. Speaking from her room at Helen Henderson Retirement Lodge in Amherstview one-week before her 102nd birthday, Bessie admits she didn’t expect to live this long. “My mother was a wonderful lady, she taught me well,” she says about the…

Knee-deep in the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the world paused after more than six-months of battling this deadly new disease to see the heroes who were standing fast to protect the vulnerable. Standing tall was Paula Roy-Leybourne who came out of retirement to work the front line. A friendly brunette with a warm laugh, Paula was named Employee of the Month for October by Helen Henderson Care Centre, a retirement lodge and long-term care home where she has worked as a Personal Support Worker for approximately 20 years. “I appreciate…

An Amherstview couple is celebrating a milestone tomorrow that many people never reach. York and Louise Wills were married on Sept. 3, 1955 at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Camden East. Named after his mother’s maiden name, York smiles when he talks about his wedding 65 years ago. “I remember because it was fall and there were grasshoppers all over the place,” says York, 93, about that special day. “At the altar, my dad noticed four or five had hopped onto Louise’s veil. He didn’t know if he should brush…