Creating the fun for Sisters seniors

BY JIM CORNELIUS

Ann Ford knows a thing or two about senior living establishments. She managed three of them, including a memory care facility in Bend. Now she’s a resident at Sisters Senior Living (formerly known as The Lodge in Sisters) — and she chose the place for one reason in particular: Alea Schliep.

Alea is the life enrichment coordinator at the senior living home on Larch Street at the north end of Sisters.

“I’m the one who basically creates the fun,” she said.

And creating that fun — rich experiences of all kinds — is what makes living here in Sisters special.

“Nobody I’ve ever seen in my life can hold a candle to Alea,” Ford said. “She’s so kind — KIND in capital letters. We couldn’t live here without Alea.”

Schliep brings an exceptional level of passion and commitment to her work. She’s always thinking of innovative activities for the folks at Sisters Senior Living. More importantly, she listens intently to what they tell her they want out of their lives there.

“I love to be challenged,” she said. “I’m the kind of person who says ‘Let’s do it! Let’s figure it out’…”

Games are fine, but Alea wants to provide activities that are not just passive — and things that are outside the previous experience of her charges.

“I really like to do things they have not done. It’s more than just about bingo,” she said. “We want to live; we want to go out and have adventure.”

Schliep creates themed events around holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. She crafted a memorable display celebrating the romances of the residents for Valentine’s Day last February. She books music for the residents.

And then there’s the real adventures:

She’s arranged skydiving for a resident who had jumping out of a perfectly good airplane on her bucket list, and she set up a visit to a “Magic Mike” men’s dance show for residents who wanted to do something risqué — something that they’d never done in their earlier lives.

Alea recalled that adventure with a smile.

“It was so fun,” she said. “We brought the bus, and we parked the bus in front of the place. People walked by and said ‘Are you serious? I want my mom to live there!”

Erica Hartmann told The Nugget that she has two passions: “Animals and being outside and active — running, walking, hiking, biking.”

Alea has accommodated those types of interest by setting up field trips to the Harmony Farms animal sanctuary — a favorite activity for Hartmann and many others.

“We have eight to 10 activities a day,” Ford marveled. “That’s unheard of. I think it’s our responsibility to give her more (ideas) because she’s generating, generating all the time. She’s a powerhouse, is what she is.”

Schliep started in the field as a caregiver, working at a facility in Bend. Initially, she wasn’t sure that the work was for her. She recalls a distinct moment when she recognized that this was a calling. A man had had a bathroom accident. He was mortified. And she realized in that moment that she could manage the situation and help the man recover his dignity — and that really meant something.

Soon, she offered to help with activities and “that was it,” she said.

She has been at Sisters Senior Living for the past five years, and is absolutely beloved among the residents and staff. One person who has worked in the field over the years said, “she’s the best activities coordinator I’ve ever seen.”

Schliep feels a strong sense of duty and commitment.

“Family members — they’re trusting you with their loved one,” she reflected. “That’s the one thing you want them to have: the peace of mind that somebody is taking care of their loved one — and that they’re doing things.”

The level of attachment Schliep forms with residents comes with a cost. She worries about them when they are unwell, and there is inevitable loss.

“I’ve seen a lot of death,” she said. “But I’ll tell you, knowing that you’ve had an impact, that you did things with them — I feel like I did my job.”

Alea has a very notable trait: She’s obsessed with the color purple. She wears purple, and her office is purple everywhere, from the walls to the furniture to a quilt wall-hanging made by Fran Kaster in July.

“Purple for me started when I was young,” she said. “It’s just a color that makes me feel good. It’s such an ice-breaker with people.”

One of the most critical roles Schliep plays is in helping new residents acclimate, and making sure that they find new friends. Moving into Sisters Senior Living often marks a tremendous change in way of life, and it can be disorienting and daunting.

“We make sure that we take those people who are new and take them under our wing,” she said.

Schliep notes that not all residents want a full slate of activities.

“I mark out time to see those people,” Schliep said.

She makes room visits, and will simply sit and play a game, read, or just talk.

“Sometimes they just want to have a conversation,” she said.

Residents don’t just see Schliep as the one who makes the fun — they see her as a friend.

“I could tell her anything and she doesn’t get upset,” said resident Annie Shields. “If I have a problem, she will find a way to solve it. I’m proud to have her in my corner, I can tell you that.”