An Innovative Pilot Project: Adapted E-Bikes Make Their Debut at Manoir-de-Verdun
Our team was very proud to join the Manoir-de-Verdun CHSLD team on August 22 to unveil an innovative project: adapted electric bicycles that would take residents, even those who use wheelchairs, on a ride in the beautiful outdoors.
Accompanied by a volunteer cyclist, the centre’s residents can now go out safely for a bike ride, enjoy the fresh air, and rediscover the neighbourhood they live in—a truly rewarding experience. We know that older adults were especially isolated during the pandemic. That’s why opportunities for stimulation are more important than ever for their well-being.
The pandemic has shown us how important it is to ensure residents maintain skills and abilities to prevent cognitive and physical decline. This project, in addition to its recreational dimension, directly serves this goal by offering participants a most fulfilling activity. Enjoying the outdoors, leaving the centre, the social interactions with both the activity companion and people in the neighbourhood, the discovery of new places are all important sources of stimulation for our residents.
Isabelle Matte, Director, Support Program for the Autonomy of Seniors at the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
This pilot project received a $35,000 investment from Fondation Santé Urbaine and was launched thanks to the generosity of the Luc Maurice Foundation and the Caisse Desjardins de l’Île-des-Sœurs–Verdun.