Former MHV executive director lands at Bethesda Place

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2024 (273 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Former executive director for Mennonite Heritage Village Gary Dyck has landed on his feet quickly finding a new position with Bethesda Place.

Dyck who left his MHV post in April was hired a month ago as interim spiritual care provider giving solace and compassion to people in the personal care home and to patients at Bethesda Regional Health Centre.

“(Steinbach) is a strong faith based community and I’ve been at Bethesda Place for a year-and-a-half now I recognize what the residents need, not just me, but the people that work here. I think community connections is a strong part of what the residents want too. When we interviewed, you look at all those things and I think when we do the interview questions with the rest of the panel and you come to a decision those are the markers that really stood out with Gary,” said Sheila Tagesen, manager of health services at Bethesda Place.

Dyck said he wanted to work at Bethesda because “of my care for the community and the people. I just feel too that how we treat our elders how, we treat those that are ill, is a good sign post of how we’re doing as a community as a culture. I wanted to offer my help.”

For 18 years, Dyck worked as a development worker in northwestern China working on social enterprise programs and helping people deal with trauma during a period of genocide in that part of the country. To decompress, he likes to be in nature and just taking the moment day to day.

“Being thankful, having a gratitude attitude, and just wanting to see the goodness that is around me still. Focusing on that more than the issues and problems and evil that is also in our world too,” he said.

Dyck’s time is split 60/40 between the personal care home and the hospital. He provides spiritual care in the hospital for traumas and deaths and in the care home he provides spiritual care for residents who have conflicted feelings or residents and families who are going through palliative care. Some of the difficulties with his job are not being able to go deep with every person.

“You have to touch on things and if someone is wanting, or needing something, then you can go deeper. The human soul is like an ocean so my work I can only do so much, unfortunately.”

There are 59 residents at Bethesda Place and Dyck knows he’s connecting to a resident when he sees “their spirit lightening up.” He shared a story of one resident who has dementia and always has her eyes closed so one can never tell if she’s engaging with what is going on around her.

One day in chapel, the group sang a common Mennonite song, God Be With Thee Till We Meet Again, which Mennonites sang to their friends and families as they were leaving Russia. Dyck didn’t know if the song resonated with the resident but he continued to sing it while pushing her wheelchair and he saw she was tapping her foot to the beat.

“Then I knew this was resonating with her soul,’ he said with a smile.