After five months without a dedicated vehicle, Queens Manor is celebrating the arrival of a new shuttle bus that will get residents to medical appointments, recreation opportunities and social events.
The Liverpool long-term care facility’s previous shuttle reached the end of its lifespan over the winter and was taken out of service. Funds for a replacement vehicle were not available until an unexpected donation was received from an American resident with a deep connection to Queens Manor.
“Like other long-term care facilities, we are being challenged to continuously do more with less,” executive director Sandi Humphrey said during an unveiling ceremony Aug. 8. “We are here today thanks to the kind and generous heart of the late Joyce Bledsoe.”
Bledsoe’s mother, father and uncle had all been Queens Manor residents. She stayed in touch with staff over the years and made a special provision for the facility in her will. That donation allowed the Manor to purchase the $85,000 shuttle, which can accommodate up to seven residents with walkers and two residents in wheelchairs.
“We sure needed it. We’ve missed it very much,” said Peggy Kelley, a resident for the past two years. She recalled riding the shuttle on scenic drives last summer and to her grandson’s wedding reception in November.
Recreation director Jill Cole said the new shuttle is a dramatic improvement over the previous one. “It’s an enormous update from what we had,” she said. “We were crammed in there like sardines.”
Having a dedicated vehicle once again is a game-changer for Queens Manor’s 61 residents, Cole said.
In addition to getting them to medical appointments, it will enable them to be more active members of the community, participating in everything from local picnics to family events and social activities. It will benefit all residents, including those in the enhanced care wing, who appreciate the visual stimulation of a sightseeing drive, she said.
Ralph Gidney, vice-chair of the Queens Manor board of directors, couldn’t agree more. “This is fantastic,” he said after cutting the vehicle’s ceremonial ribbon on behalf of his fellow board members. “It’s so necessary in order to get residents out and about in the community, for a wide range of appointments and occasions.”
LighthouseNow Progress Bulletin
August 15, 2018
Scott Costen 