Mount St. Joseph Nursing Home

The staff at the Mount St. Joseph Nursing Home have a great time giving back to their community

The Mount St. Joseph Nursing home workplace wellness program is about coming together to give back to their community. The staff take their wellness initiatives very seriously, but they sure know how to have a good time while they do it! Wellness has become a major part of daily work-life at the nursing home, with a variety of events and initiatives taking place over the year. Perhaps the biggest event is the Heart & Stroke Foundation Big Bike Ride, which sees a number of staff members teaming up to ride one enormous bike. Not only does the event help staff raise money for a great cause, but it has an excellent team-building aspect as well.

Another great team-building exercise open to staff at the nursing home is the annual Dragon Boat Festival race on the river. Training and participating in this event not only provides great physical workout for all participants, but also offers a prime opportunity for staff to socialize with one another, outside of the stresses of work.

The staff also hosts a variety of less formal activities year-round, including calisthenics and stretching before shifts, and blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) clinics for the staff, provided by a group of local nursing students.

Uptake has been tremendous, with many participants keen to express their happiness with the Wellness opportunities available at work, and efforts will continue on through 2013.