Saturday, November 21, 1992 @

Heather Hadley
Classified Manager

Today your main concern is
taking care of your family.
Feeding them. Clothing them.
Putting a roof over their heads.

To do that, you need a job .
And these days jobs can be a
little hard to come by.

So your friends at the
Castlegar News want to give
you a little help. Now you can
run your own
*employment-wanted' ads free.
Because if we help you to get an
even break, Sait dc the rest.

That's the job of any
community newspaper. So
that's our job here at your
community newspaper, the
Castlegar News ...

365-7266

FREE EMPLOYMENT-WANTED CLASSIFIEDS.

@ Saturday, November 21, 1992

AroundTOWN

Our person
for
Our People
Corinne Jackson
365-7266

THAT’S THE
HOLIDAY

SPIRIT

Have you sent
your greeting
cards yet? The
United Nations
Children’s Fund
has and they’re
here in
Castlegar, ready
to be bought up.
UNICEF cards
and gifts are
available at
Carl's Drugs,
IGA, Safeway
and Selkirk
College’s book
shop. Money
from the sales
goes toward
providing clean
water,
immunization
and education,
as well as other
services to
children around
the world.

STOCKING
STUFFERS
NEEDED

Castleview Care

Centre's 1992
stocking
campaign is
undemay, but
needs help.
Donations of
stocking items
for the centre’s
residents would
be appreciated.
For more
information call
365-7277.

STORYTIME
FOR ADULTS

The all new West
Kootenay
Storytelling and
Puppetry Guild
plans to hold
gatherings at
7:30 p.m. on the
third Wednesday
of every month at
the Nelson
Public Library.
Participation is
encouraged, but
not required.

OurPEOPLE

Linda McTaggart finds home

_| away from home with friends at
| Castlegar’s Mountain View Lodge

Corinne Jackson
NEWS REPORTER
hen Linda McTaggart
W leaves for work in the
morning, she leaves one
family for another.

“It’s become a bit of an extended
family,” Mountain View Lodge’s adult
day care program co-ordinator says.

According to McTaggart, she has
become “very attached” to the
program’s clients.

When you hear McTaggart talk
about her work, you understand why
she has become so attached.
McTaggart was a nurse in the
extended-care ward of Castlegar and
District Hospital from 1979 until

After her stint there, she switched
over to Mountain View Lodge as an extended-care worker

| until she took on the adult day care program in October.

“I doubt that I'd get back into nursing,” she says,
explaining how her new job is the dream of many hospital

7 hurses.

“It’s that one-on-one that you can’t get working with
patients. Something I think nurses always complain about
— that you’re always too busy and don’t have a lot of time
to spend with (individual patients),” she says.

According to McTaggart, the day care program provides

| some one-on-one time, but still not as much as she’d like.

“T've always worked with the elderly and I really enjoy
working with them.

“It almost brings tears to your eyes,” McTaggart says as
she describes the response she gets from those attending
the program.

‘any clients spend the day alone and coming to
the program allows them to interact with other
people, she says.

“It’s just a special feeling knowing you're providing that
for them.”

Linda McTaggart enjoys a visit with George
1991. Wilson, a client in the adult day care program.

Ultimate satisfaction McTaggart
says, comes from the interaction
with her clients.

“The response we get when we do
something for them — the hugs and
that sort of thing,” she says, “are
wonderful.”

Along with the joys, however,
McTaggart admits there are times
when the work can be a little
difficult.

“It is challenging in being able to
provide them with activities and
programs they’d enjoy and benefit
from doing.

According to McTaggart, staff
members have to be aware of
Castlegar’s rich mix of ethnic
backgrounds when they plan
activities.

{4 e have a lot of little
things to think
about,” McTaggart

says, remembering a time when she
tried to get a client to participate in
a crocheting activity.

“I did that all my life and I’m not going to do that now,”
the woman replied to McTaggart.

“And that’s fair enough,” the co-ordinator says reflecting
on the incident.

Both staff and clients in fact, have learned about the
community’s cultural diversity through these experiences,
McTaggart says, describing them as a positive process.

As Christmas approaches, McTaggart says staff will
have to start thinking about decorations and activities —
again taking the different cultures into consideration.

According to McTaggart, there has already been some
discussion about putting up a Christmas tree at the lodge.

“Some believe it would be better to have the tree in the
forest,” she explains.

While McTaggart and others may be doing their share of
learning — about the people in the lodge and the
community outside — they also have a lot of fun.

So with all of this, and a second family besides, has
McTaggart found her niche?

“I think I have,” she says. “It’s very rewarding.”

News photo by Corinne Jackson

News photo by Corinne Jackson

Adult day care participant Frank Ehl (sitting second from left) joins residents at Mountain View Lodge for a fun game of polo.