Letter from Executive Director Lui Franciosi - Dec. 2024

December 9, 2024

Dear Residents, Families and Staff of Dania,

I hope you are all doing well.  I would like to provide you with some updates from our campus of care.

As we come to the end of 2024, we continue to be COVID-19 and influenza free.  We are pleased with our progress thus far and we look forward to seeing the continued protection of our community.

In November, we had a new Maintenance Manager Evan Klonarakis start on the campus.  He comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience that he has gathered from working within the long term care environment for more than 10 years.  Please welcome him.

We want to also inform you that Dania Society is currently building a new therapeutic garden called ‘Granly Gardens’, which is adjacent and separate to the Dania Seniors Affordable Housing project due to be completed March 2025.  The new garden will provide a space for these new residents along with residents and families of Dania Home, Dania Manor and Carl Mortensen Manor.  It will feature walking trails and a Danish themed central meeting place. The cost of landscaping project has increased by $210,000 over the prior budget prepared 3 years ago; the total cost to the Society is now $633,000. The bulk of the increase is due to material and labour costs escalating 34%.  Therefore, we recently started a fundraising campaign to help us handle this project shortfall.  We appreciate any support that you can provide by donating at the https://www.dania.bc.ca/donate-support/ and a tax receipt will be issued.  Thank you in advance for your kind gift.

Family Council Chair Craig McCulloch and I would like to invite all current and new family members to attend our monthly meetings where we discuss important topics that concern BC’s healthcare system and the impact it has on our residents, families and staff.  Our next meeting is Friday, December 20, at 7pm.  For those that are unable to attend in-person, we also have a virtual method available.  Here are the ZOOM meeting details used for this specific meeting:

Lastly, please come visit our campus over the next three weeks and enjoy the beautiful Christmas displays with your loved ones.  Our staff have done a wonderful job in decorating our front entrances of our buildings, including all of our neighborhoods at Dania Home.  I am very thankful for their passion and devotion; the Christmas spirit is truly alive and well at Dania.

I want wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

If you have any further questions, please contact me anytime. I am always available to you by phone or email.  Thank you and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Lui Franciosi

Executive Director

604-292-8132

luif@dania.bc.ca