Meadowlark Senior Care Home closing after 22 years of operation

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After 22 years of serving the community, Meadowlark Senior Care Home has closed its doors for good, as owner and operator, Debbie Wakelam, retires.

Coming into her retirement, Wakelam said she decided not to sell the business and to simply close it down, as another operator would not continue the practices she maintained.

“I do not want my name associated with it if it’s not going to continue the way I’ve run it. If (somebody) wanted to buy my business but changed it all, then my model would no longer exist, so it just needed to be closed by myself,” she said.

Wakelam explained that Meadowlark was a business born out of necessity after her grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. 

Following the diagnosis along with having a background in caring for seniors, Wakelam created Meadowlark and decided to take care, not just for her grandmother but for other local seniors, into her own hands.

“Over 20 years ago, how it got started was, my grandma had dementia and I had been working at the Strathmore Hospital (in) long-term care and I really wasn’t happy with the work,” said Wakelam.

“I loved the seniors, but I didn’t like that environment, so when my grandma was diagnosed with dementia, my family said, ‘what are we going to do?’”

Deciding she was not a particular fan of other senior care options in the area, Wakelam wanted to take a different approach that was, as she said, geared more towards focusing on individuals in a small group environment.

“When I first started, it was a new idea for many, many people. It was something that they do in England and they have care homes all throughout Europe, but it was new for this area,” she said.

“Some people immediately liked the idea and (for) others, it was a bit challenging for them. Once I got started taking care of some seniors, then word spread rapidly that there was a different option.”

Wakelam added that the current state of the provincial health care system also influenced her decision to retire but clarified that she greatly enjoyed working with seniors and operating her facility for the last 22 years.

“I decided that the current situation with the world and especially with the direction that our health (system) is going in, that this isn’t a good fit for what I do and I no longer want to be a part of it.”

“I have enjoyed life fully for 22 years because I’m very passionate about what I do, my care and my care home … so going forward, I will just have time to pursue some of my hobbies and interests.”

Residents were given written notice of the change prior to Meadowlark’s closure, for them to find other accommodations, prior to the care home’s closure on Feb. 14.