17 minute read
Senior Living
SCHOOLING DOESN’T END AT RETIREMENT
Communities provide residents with lifelong learning opportunities
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By Caroline Neal
Special Contributor
Children in Texas are not the only ones taking new classes this fall. Their grandparents and great-grandparents are joining in the fun.
To reduce cognitive decline and increase social engagement amongst their residents, such Dallas retirement communities as CC Young, Juniper Village at Preston Hollow, The Preston of the Park Cities, and Everleigh Forestwood prioritize lifelong learning.
CC Young and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of North Texas recently entered a three-year partnership and began offering OLLI classes at CC Young.
“We are happy to bring what is a very established lifelong learning program over to a new group of residents who are ready and open for it,” said OLLI’s senior director Stephanie Reinke.
CC Young residents and others in Dallas can take a variety of courses, including “Rise and Fall of the Republic of Texas,” “Opera Basics: Its Components,” and “Works of Toni Morrison,” without the stress of homework, tests, grades, or the pursuit of a degree.
Jennifer Griffin, vice president of engagement at CC Young, said the courses will foster “interest” and “mental and emotional stimulation.”
Reinke hopes the courses inspire residents to learn, form connections, and discuss common interests.
“It’s kind of like a second family you become with the OLLI members,” Reinke said. “You have that shared passion for
Filmmaker Miles Hargrove talks to residents at The Preston of the Park Cities in 2021 about his first documentary,
Miracle Fishing.(PHOTO: COURTESY THE PRESTON OF THE PARK CITIES)
Classes from Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of North Texas cover a wide range of topics
including playing the organ. (PHOTO: COURTESY OLLI AT UNT)
learning, and they become great friends doing it.”
Other communities have developed educational and enrichment programs. Juniper Village at Preston Hollow has Juniper University, and The Preston of the Park Cities, a Watermark Retirement Communities-managed property, has Watermark University.
“Programs that focus on enhancing the mind, body, and spirit are not unusual in senior living communities,” Ke’o Velasquez said. The former executive director of The Preston of the Park Cities recently left to join Forefront Living.
Michelle Wingfield, executive director of Juniper Village, said Juniper University helps residents to continue growing as individuals with classes ranging from house plant basics to senior fraud to UV safety.
You have that shared passion for learning, and they become great friends doing it. Stephanie Reinke
Participation was slow at the beginning, but the educational talks and activities soon grew in popularity, she said. “Word of mouth got a hold of it, and people got excited about it.”
Everleigh Forestwood is focusing on physical wellbeing. In addition to art and cooking classes, group therapy, and talks about the aging brain, Everleigh puts on daily fitness classes, including Zumba, aqua cardio, and SilverSneakers.
Lifestyle Coordinator Kailee Dougherty said these classes foster “a sense of community.” For Dougherty, lifelong learning creates the opportunity to try different activities.
“Even if they’re not learning something educational per se,” Dougherty said, “they’re still learning something or doing something different, which I think is actually really healthy for an older person to not be stuck in the same habits every single day.”
Belmont Village, Photographer Honor Veterans, Preserve Stories
By Caroline Neal
Special Contributor
Howard Greenlee, a Navy veteran who joined in 1954 and now lives at Belmont Village Senior Living Turtle Creek, stood in front of the white sheet as Thomas Sanders takes his picture.
“Look at me for a few more,” Sanders said. “That’s good.”
Sanders, photographer and author of The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II, travels to Belmont Village Senior Living communities taking pictures of veterans –– both residents and staff members –– for Belmont’s American Heroes Portraits of Service project.
Begun in 2008, the project originally focused on World War II veterans. Today, the project also includes those who served in the Vietnam War and the Korean War.
Sanders, whose grandfather is a World War II veteran, starts by photographing the veterans against a white background. Then, in post Thomas Sanders photographs Howard Greenlee. (PHOTO: CAROLINE NEAL)
Patricia Will, founder and CEO of Belmont Village, said this project was started to highlight the importance of veterans and their stories.
“One of the things that we all realize as a society now is that we ought to be spending every part of everyday honoring the men and women who serve us so selflessly in the armed forces,” Will said, “and we also need to be capturing the stories of their service.”
In addition to the photographs, Belmont includes descriptions of the veterans’ experiences.
“As you move forward in time, the nature of the experiences is different,” Will said, “and we want to be sure that we don’t lose the stories that go with these incredible images.”
Lorena Grimes, director of communications, interviews the veterans. She first asks what branch of service they were in and the highest rank they received. She then asks them to tell their story “however they want to share it with me.”
“We kind of leave it as an open conversation,” Grimes said.
For the project, Sanders also photographs Belmont staff members who are veterans. Will said this “creates a certain unique camaraderie between those team members who served in the military and residents who served in the military.”
Kate Marshall, the memory programs coordinator at Belmont, served as a military police officer and later in the reserves. Marshall can connect with residents about their time in the military, adding that she always introduces herself to new residents who are veterans.
Marshall believes this project allows people to “understand the sacrifices that they and their families made.”
Recognizing that some veterans may not have told their story in the past, Sanders sees this project as an opportunity to “preserve history.”
“It’s important to honor them and interview them and give them the opportunity to tell their story,” Sanders said.
18 October 2022 | prestonhollowpeople.com Songs & Smiles Delivers Joy to Memory Care Patients, Caregivers Music bridges communication divides, sparks recognition in those with dementia
By Maddie Stout
People Newspapers
Lyrics floated through the air, voices joined in harmony, and laughter echoed around the room.
The scene exudes joy, though the location could be a bit surprising: a memory care facility.
Still, this is the norm for one of these events – a Songs & Smiles singalong, led by director of songs Eric Kolb.
Songs & Smiles, founded in 2017, aims to strengthen family connections during the difficult Alzheimer’s journey. To do so, the organization leads singalongs at memory care facilities, acknowledging the tremendous power of music to bring people together and spark recognition among dementia patients.
Sheryl and Eric Kolb first had the idea for Songs & Smiles while caring for family members who had dementia, namely Sheryl’s grandmother Olive and mother Trish.
“It was really hard for Sheryl to visit her mom or to have a normal conversation,” Eric said. “But if there was music playing or someone singing, it became an easy visit. We want other families to have easy visits too.” Eric Kolb sings to a group of residents. (PHOTO: BRAD NEWTON)
The first Songs & Smiles event occurred at a birthday party for Trish in 2017.
Initially, the Kolbs had no plans to continue with the events. Still, now the organization travels to various memory care facilities throughout the area, organizes family photo sessions, and even publishes its dementia-friendly magazine.
John Ponder, executive director of Songs & Smiles, first became involved with the organization through his friendship with the Kolb family. He admires the organization for not only helping patients but their caregivers as well.
“Eric’s main thrust was not to cure Alzheimer’s but to help the people who take care of those with Alzheimer’s have some relief and some method of dealing with their stress,” Ponder said.
A typical Songs & Smiles singalong lasts around an hour, featuring familiar songs such as Take Me Out to the Ball Game and You Are My Sunshine.
Eric, who has been singing since he was a child and used to sing the National Anthem at Texas Rangers games, broadcasts the words on a screen for residents and visitors to join in the singing.
“Putting the lyrics up adds an extra layer of connection,” Eric said. “It gives everyone a deeper
MORE THE MERRIER
Visit songsandsmiles.com to learn more about Songs & Smiles or to attend an event.
Visit songsandsmiles.com/ singalongs-library/ to see a recording of a Songs & Smiles singalong.
level of competence and comfort to sing along.”
Rosa Yurko, life enrichment director of Iris Memory Care of Turtle Creek, appreciates Songs & Smiles for the joy it brings residents.
“Our residents love the program,” Yurko said. “Eric is so present with them and just so charismatic.”
Recently, Songs & Smiles received a $6,000 bi-annual grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The organization plans to use the money to bolster its in-person singalong program, replace old equipment, and plan community events to reach beyond memory care communities.
“Eighty percent of people with dementia are not living in facilities; they’re with somebody at home,” Kolb said. “This AFA grant will help us reach those people.”
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Are You Having Problems Standing Up From A Chair Or Feeling Dizzy, Achy, Or Unsteady Once You Stand Up? – Here’s A Few SIMPLE Tips From A Specialist Who Sees This Every Day!
By Leading Balance Expert, Dr. Jeffrey Guild, Physical Therapist
Are you finding it more and more difficult to just stand up out of a chair because of strength, feeling dizzy once you stand up, or can’t get going because your joints feel achy? Are you looking for something simple to solve this problem? lubrication. This is a way to feel less achiness when we stand up and walk.
If you have any questions, I am happy to discuss these tips further. You can contact me directly at 214-712-8242 Or...
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3. Move Your Ankles, Knees, & Hips Before Standing Up. This is a tip everybody seems to love, because achiness in the joints aftersitting is such a common problem. To prevent this, moving the joints before standing and walking increases our joints’ natural
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By Karen Chaney
Special Contributor
As a child in Taiwan, Teresa Yu set up a unique barter system.
“I’d hear popular songs on the radio, and I’d tell friends to sing parts, and if they followed my commands, they got candy,” the amateur talent scout recalled.
She branched into stage direction, tweaked the the Chinese translation of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and asked her grammar school classmates to read her rewrites.
Her affinity for performing arts has kept her company all her life, and as she kicks off her eighth decade, she looks to her peers at the Edgemere Retirement Community to sustain her creative spirit.
Drawn by its Tuscan architecture, range of care options, and proximity to her son’s family in Richardson, Yu moved there in August 2018 but soon noticed a void.
“When I came here, every Tuesday, we had a program, maybe a lecturer or an outside performer,” Yu said. “I thought, ‘This is very passive. Why don’t we just start a show by the residents for the residents?’”
She developed an Edgemere Follies variety show and recruited participants by approaching co-members of Edgemere Choir and posting a casting call sheet on the community bulletin board.
When people seemed unsure about their talents being stage-worthy, Yu rebutted, “Don’t worry about it. Since we don’t charge people, they can’t ask for their money back.”
The first year was a rollicking success, and Yu was happily planning the 2020 show when the pandemic prompted a pivot to video.
By 2021, the show was live again, and Yu invited Edgemere team members to perform, too.
With the 2022 show in the books, Yu has begun brainstorming and scouting talent for next year.
When residents or staff members cross Yu’s path, she imagines them in her next production.
“I’m going to ask him to be in the show,” she said, leaning forward in a conspiratorial whisper, as a potential cast member walked by during an interview this summer. “I thought he could sing Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof.”
Yu said that although she is getting older by the minute, the show must go on. “I thought, ‘I’m 80; I’m too old to do this,’ but I really cannot stop myself.” Gena Gray belly dances during the 2022 Edgemere Follies. (PHOTO: COURTESY EDGEMERE) Teresa Yu is the director and producer of Edgemere Follies, an
annual variety show that features residents and team members at the senior
living community. (PHOTO: KAREN CHANEY)
A LIFE WELL LIVED. A LIFE WELL EARNED.
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BelmontVillage.com/TurtleCreek | 214-306-7687
22 October 2022 | prestonhollowpeople.com Give Caregivers a Break Respite ministries help by offering dementia patients activities
By Evelyn Wolff
People Newspapers
For those navigating the diagnosis of the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease for a family member still living at home, there is a need to come up to the surface just to catch a breath.
However, the caregiver might not know where to turn for respite from the day-today stress and responsibilities.
Ann Rosenzweig understands. Her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004.
“My mom lived a very full life,” Rosenzweig said. “She was one of the smartest people I have ever known, but we did not know what was needed to keep her from declining.”
Ann’s discoveries for her mother led her to form a Caregiver’s Day Out at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
On the first and third Thursdays of each month, trained volunteers gather to provide a safe and stimulating environment to give the caregivers a break.
“We serve those who don’t have access to this elsewhere,” she explained. “We currently have 10 volunteers and five participants who have early to mid-stage dementia.”
The morning always includes music.
“Music gets to their core,” Rosenzweig explained. “It helps them move. People who can’t complete a sentence can sing every word to a song.”
A recent Thursday morning began with
FROM LEFT: Volunteers Michelle Meredith, Gil Gilbert, Lisa Hammond, Danna Jackson, Ann
Rosenzweig, and Sandra Gilbert. (PHOTO: EVELYN WOLFF)
Mike Frankel — think Dick VanDyke in Mary Poppins — beating the tambourine with his feet and squeezing out songs from the 1950s and 1960 on his accordion.
Carolyn A. Dobson, a neurologic music therapist with board certification in music therapy and as an advanced activity professional, has also visited and demonstrated how the rhythm in music stimulates the brain to respond and improve cognitive function.
To support physical health, Allison Atwood from the Moody Family YMCA in the Park Cities brought her high energy, smiles, and fun to the group with chair exercises.
“It’s an easy activity for people to join even if they are late because it’s not always easy to get someone up and out the door,” Rosenzweig said.
Most mornings also include a fun activity or craft.
“We see a vast spectrum of what people are able to do, so it’s a challenge to keep the individual engaged at their level,” Rosenzweig added. “Pairing an individual with a volunteer helps. For example, we usually end our mornings with bingo. One lady who had not been receiving any regular socialization did not know how to play. Now she can play by herself.”
The baby of her own family, Rosenzweig, has always had a place in her heart for older adults. Caring for the elderly has grown to be a passion for her.
AREA OPTIONS
Caregivers’ Day Out Westminster Presbyterian Church 8200 Devonshire Drive First and third Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $15 per session; scholarships available Call 214-351-3251 or email emilyc@wped.org
Casa de Vida NorthPark Presbyterian Church 9555 North Central Expressway, Dallas Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $15 per session; scholarships available northparkpres.org/casadevida Contact Ellen Mata at 214-363-5457, ext. 102 or emata@northparkpres.org
Journey Ministry Highland Park UMC 3300 Mockingbird Lane Thursdays weekly, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free Contact Trissie Osborn at 214-523-2245 or osbornt@hpumc.org
The Alzheimer’s Association In-Person Caregiver Support Groups alz.org
Church of the Incarnation – Dallas 3966 McKinney Ave. Family Ministries Room on the second floor of Garrett Hall First Thursdays at noon
Park Cities Baptist Church Support Group – Dallas 3933 Northwest Parkway Meets in Reed 10 Second Mondays at 12:30 p.m.
“It brings me a lot of joy to work with these individuals,” she said. “The volunteers who are a part of this program also find it to be a great joy. I am grateful to Westminster Presbyterian Church for what they are doing providing this outreach to the community.”
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