Real Life Stories: Mary at Oceana PARC

Oceana PARC resident Mary started her independent living journey at a retirement residence with her husband in Surrey, but when he was moved into a care home, she decided it was time to find somewhere with more opportunities for active living. She came to visit Oceana and her decision was instant.

“I like the idea of being with more people,” she says, “and we do a lot of activities. You can be as busy as you want to be.”

Originally from Alberta, Mary has lived in BC since her teens. Before retiring, she and her husband ran their own mortgage business. They loved to travel, and took their motor home on the road to many local destinations, including southbound to their second home in California, where they often spent winters.

Now 82, Mary is well connected within her community, including at Oceana, where she knew quite a few people before even moving in.

Take a look at a typical day in the life of Mary at Oceana PARC.

A Day in the Life of Mary

“I don’t get up early, but when I do, the first thing I do is play word games on the computer. Then I go down for breakfast, usually about 9:15 am, and we sit there and visit until 10:30 am some days.”

“Sometimes I’ll go to the gym, and sometimes I’ll just go out for a walk or go talk to different people. I love going to the Brain Game program every Thursday, and line dancing on Monday afternoon, and we do a neighbourhood cleanup on Tuesday afternoons. There’s lots to do all the time.”

“I have a serger and a sewing machine, and I can sew pretty much anything. I made lots of masks when they were required – when we could use the cloth ones. And I do lots of fixing and shortening since I’ve got short legs.”

“I am an Oceana Ambassador, and I get to talk to new people all the time. We have an event once a month for new residents, and we take them one on one and talk to them about what they like to be doing, or what’s going on in the building. And if I see them sitting around not knowing what to do, I’ll go talk to them and see if there’s something I can do to help them get more acquainted.”

“I love getting to know the staff a lot better. I feel like they’re like my daughters. I love all the things we get to do together all the time.”

“It’s like living on a cruise ship. Everything’s done for you. Your meals are done, you get housekeeping and there’s always something to do. Plus, the view from my suite is beautiful. All in all, it’s a good place to live. I’m so happy I moved here.”

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