Cultivating connections to make long-term care feel like home
When care reflects what matters most to residents, it can transform daily life. Meaningful cultural connections are helping residents feel more connected to community and culture.
Creating a sense of home is central to quality long‑term care, and at Hilltop House in Squamish, staff are helping residents feel comfortable, connected and supported. Through thoughtful, relationship-based initiatives, the team is fostering belonging by honouring culture, strengthening community ties and supporting what matters most to residents.
Several residents at Hilltop House are members of the Líl̓wat Nation. While living away from their home community can be challenging, staff are working alongside residents and community members to help maintain meaningful cultural connections.
In spring 2025, the team introduced a “Lil'wat phrase of the week,” inviting residents, staff and visitors to pause, read and learn together. The initiative was created to honour the culture of Líl̓wat residents and support language revitalization in a simple, everyday way.
Several Elders living at Hilltop House speak Ucwalmícwts, the Líl̓wat language, fluently. With funding from the Hilltop House Support Society, staff purchased a box recorder and began working with one of the Elders to record each weekly phrase, helping share language and knowledge throughout the home.
Cultural connection is also supported through regularly scheduled Elders' gatherings. These gatherings bring residents together to share traditional foods, such as lhq'a7eltən (soapberry) and salmon, reinforcing ties to Líl̓wat Nation culture and community. On special occasions, the gatherings are enriched with performances by dancers in traditional regalia.
“It can be difficult to bring residents back to Mount Currie, so we have community members come to Hilltop House each month,” says Mackenze Vanstone, Recreation Therapist. “It's really meaningful for the Líl̓wat residents at Hilltop House to see people from their community and stay connected to their traditions."
Through initiatives like these, we are helping long‑term care feel more like home, creating spaces where residents feel seen, respected and connected to who they are and where they come from.
