We met with Mariane Mijares, Director of Health & Wellness, and Kathleen Bell, Manager of Health & Wellness, at the third floor health and wellness lounge at Tapestry at Wesbrook Village earlier this week. With a few months under their belts, they are both excited to get to know residents and their families. They are hosting a resident and family mixer on May 27 complete with delicious refreshments prepared in-house. We asked them what they would like to achieve at the upcoming event. Kathleen explains:

We would love residents to know they can talk to us anytime. They don’t need to be in a health crisis. We are here to offer advice and share our experience to enhance your overall health and quality of life! 

And these two ladies have a lot of education and experience to share! Both Kathleen and Mariane have ongoing education plans.

Kathleen plans to add to her education as an LPN and a foot care nurse to pursue her RN designation. She will be heading back to school about the same time her eldest of three daughters heads to university! Kathleen has spent her whole career working with seniors and has most recently worked at Belvedere Care Centre and at Elim Village. She also runs her own foot care business.

Mariane had a somewhat winding path leading her nursing career to specialize with seniors.

I originally specialized in mental health. I ended up changing my mind about the specialization and was given the option of working at Vancouver’s Insite program or in Geriatrics at Mount St. Joseph’s at UBC. Pretty different options! And I chose St. Joseph’s. 

She explains that her time working at Mount St. Joseph’s totally changed her attitude about working with seniors. She never thought she wanted a career working with seniors but hasn’t looked back since. Before coming to Tapestry, Mariane worked at Sunrise and at Northcrest Care Centre. Here at Tapestry, Mariane in her director role, oversees health services at both Vancouver Tapestry communities. Mariane’s ongoing education plans include pursuing a Master’s in Gerontology and eventually an MBA.

Both Kathleen and Mariane are looking forward to working in our independent living retirement community where the focus is on healthy living and improving quality of life. They enjoy being connected to the community.

Be sure to head to the upcoming mixer from 1:00 – 4:00 pm on May 27th to meet these ladies! Call 604-225-5006 to RSVP!