Balsam Care

04/23/2026

What’s something small that makes your day feel like yours?

It could be a routine, a favourite activity, or just having the choice to do things your own way.

That sense of ownership is something we see every day—and it matters more than people think.

04/22/2026

Earth Day 🌎

We set aside the 22nd day of April to celebrate all that the third rock from the sun offers us as a home, but we sometimes forget how fragile this home is.

The Earth provides us with nutritional benefits for our bodies and souls each day.

04/22/2026

George is home! ❤️

Our beloved George made his appearance yesterday, arriving home safely 🏡 To say he is happy to be in the arms of persons served and staff would be an understatement 😀 💙

The house is filled with kitty love and joy once again 😊 🐈

Thank you, to all who kindly shared our post last week, sent prayers for his safety, and took the time to look for him. Your compassion means so much to us ❤️

He will now have a phone number and name on his collar in case he has the need to go on another outdoor adventure.

04/21/2026

This time of year brings a bit of a reset—longer days, lighter mornings, and more time to connect.

At Balsam, it often looks simple: sharing a meal, getting outside, or just spending time together in ways that feel easy and natural.

Those are the moments that matter.

04/19/2026

Whew! We had a fabulous time dancing, socializing, and meeting new friends at the Illuminate Nova Scotia Prom last night 🕺💃

Events like this are what inclusion is all about! When volunteers get together, amazing things happen 🎉🎊🎈

Many from Balsam attended the annual Prom party, enjoying themselves immensely 🥳

Inclusion....where everyone feels safe and welcomed just as they are 🥰

04/18/2026

A home should feel like your space—not just a place you stay.

Our small option homes are built around the people who live in them—their routines, their preferences, their way of doing things.

Because real support starts with feeling at home in your own life.

04/18/2026

To some, it may look like colored pages but it's much more than that.....

When we look beyond the simplicity of what is in front of us, we are able to objectively understand another person's perspective.😊

At Balsam, we are committed to a person directed approach to care. This means we don't make decisions for others, but we do support healthy and safe decision making. We offer suggestions, alternatives, and encouragement without subjective influence, to support people in their choices. We provide daily living skill building through experiences, exploring outcomes of decision making, and learning.

At the Hub, persons served recently decided they would like to add colour to the walls....their colour. They learned about colour theory, put the theory to practice, and chose how to form a colour palate of pages on the walls. What they learned went far beyond coloring pages. They learned about various tools used in art, prisms, colour spectrum, and mixing materials (crayons, pencils, markers, paints, chalk, etc) in creative thinking. 🌈✏️📝🎨

They are proud of their hard work that now fills their work space, reminding them how science can be fun, even on coloring pages 🖍✂️✏️🖊

When we look at life as a blank canvas, we have the ability to colour it any way we like. Some corners may be a bit messy, some areas may be neatly covered, and other spaces are waiting for you to decide what's next. No matter how your life canvas looks, it's uniquely and perfectly made by you! 🎉🖼🎨

04/17/2026

Employee Service Awards....

We are here to brag a little bit about our remarkable staff 👏✨️

Although we didn't catch everyone because there were many, we did manage to grab a few smiling faces who recently received employee service awards 🏅🎉

At Balsam, we recognize and appreciate the many years of service our employees have dedicated to the building of our organizational success. The quality of care, depth of compassion, and level of empathy provided to persons served goes above and beyond. Employees like ours leave a positive lasting mark in lives of others, often without being aware of how they touch the hearts of those they care for.

Let's break it down :

Leadership: Your ability to drive results while advocating and collaborating is what helps move Balsam through transition and change.

Teamwork: Your ability to work together in unison for the betterment of Balsam provides a much needed safety net for persons served. Your unique perspectives and ideas while working together is what teamwork is about.

Work Ethic: Your dedication and perseverance are truly inspiring. It doesn't go unnoticed.

Innovation: Your creative and innovative thinking has you all in a class of your own. Thank you for always raising the bar.

Whether your award is 5 years, a decade, or longer, you are the cornerstones to our solid foundation.

Thank you for stepping up to plate every day ❤️

04/16/2026

We have been busy at the ARC :)

Our creative minds are always working...we have been learning how to make paper flowers to grow our indoor flower garden, exploring new ways to recycle, and coloring spring pictures to decorate our personal living space 🌼🌸🦋

And....as W***y Nelson might say, "On the road again", we recently took a road trip to another part of the province to visit a dear friend who once was a roommate. Long lasting friendships bring much happiness and many smiles 🥰😊

Oh, and of course, we love to celebrate birthdays with cake 🎂 a special staff person celebrated a birthday this week and the management team couldn't let it slip by. They're sneaky like that 🤭

04/16/2026

Health looks different for everyone.

At Balsam, it’s not just about routines or checklists—it’s about how someone feels in their day. Feeling comfortable, having choices, being connected, and knowing you’re supported.

That’s what real wellbeing looks like here.

04/16/2026

Have you seen our precious George around Alexandra Avenue in Bridgewater?

George is our newly adopted fur-baby at one of our Small Community Living Options Homes-- he took the opportunity to run into the fresh open air on April 15th. He is an indoor kitty who is loved greatly by the persons served living in the home. They are very sad 😔

George is 11 months old, and not yet neutered, so we believe he may be searching for a mate, as it is that time of year. Being inexperienced outside, he may hide under sheds, porches, cars, or other places around buildings. He is shy, so we would ask that people use a soft voice and crouch down to communicate if you see him.

George has distinct physical idenifiers.....he is an orange and white tabby with some chunkiness about him. He is wearing a black and white collar with a bell. He also has only one testicle...please don't be alarmed by this.

With it being spring time, George may have felt the urge to go with his kitty instincts, chasing birds and strutting his stuff in the neighborhood. If so, he is not an outdoor kitty and may not know how to defend himself from neighborhood dogs, other cats, or people.

Please contact 902- 543-7712 if you have seen our gregarious George ❤️

04/15/2026