Juanita Cole
A World of Memories
There is a presence and poise about Juanita
Cole. Her demeanor speaks of grace and gentility. The
ethnic clothes she wears recall memories of many lands and many
languages. Juanita's calm, gently-modulated voice suggests that she
has been in conversations with dignitaries from around the world.
Indeed she has been. For 30 years Juanita held a position in the
Foreign Service of the U.S. State Department. She was one of the
first African American women to hold such a position.
In France she hosted dinner parties for the
international set. In more than a dozen countries, Juanita
entertained her guests with music, dancing and gourmet foods-many
of them made with her own hands. This was Juanita's life when she
was in good health-before the debilitating effects of severe
diabetes.
Now she spends her days at The InnovAge Johnson Adult
Day Program. She likes to go out for lunch and be around
people. She enjoys mind-stimulating activities and best of all, she
can't wait for the dancing and music to begin after lunch. But be
advised, when you ask her to dance, you are in for the ride of your
life. Her feet explode to the beat with energetic stomps. Her arms
punctuate the air in rhythmic gyrations. For a moment she is queen
of the dance floor, transported to a different country in another
world.
Gerti Beagle
Of Rainbows and Butterflies
For as long as she can remember, Gerti has
enjoyed art-drawing, painting and just about anything creative.
When she was in the third grade, she designed a "pin-on book"-a
miniature story book that could double as a sweater pin, made from
little strips of paper. It was created as part of a book report she
presented to her teacher. At the time, she was fascinated with the
idea of books; the words, pages and illustrations.
But Gerti had another love-children. Born to
Irish parents in Michigan in 1929, she was one of eight children.
She attended the University of Detroit before marrying, and later
moved to Colorado where she raised four children. Gerti worked in
medical records and in the court system, but she eventually decided
that children "were her heart" and so decided to become a
stay-at-home mom.
As an "at home mom," she plied her creative
talents liberally, providing wonderful art projects, games and
activities for the children in her neighborhood. She taught them
how to paint with flowers, using the parts of the flower to sketch
and paint. "They discovered that they could make a whole rainbow of
colors working with just the plants themselves," says Gerti. Later
she started drawing portraits of her friends, and has delighted
participants and staff at the InnovAge Johnson Adult Day
Program with her caricatures.
Gerti paints once a week in the Memories in the Making art program at the
InnovAge Johnson Adult Day Program. She draws on her treasured
memories and her current experiences and feelings to create
wonderful works of art. After the tragic death of her granddaughter
in a hit-and- run accident, she painted butterflies to represent
her granddaughter's spirit and her resurrection. This helped Gerti
heal.
Gerti loves to color her world. From her
wardrobe, jewelry and make up, to her playful paintings and
sketches, like a bright rainbow, Gerti's art reflects her life.
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Scotty McLeod
In Pursuit of the Active
Life
What do you do when the body is willing but the mind
falters? Those with dementia sometimes find
themselves in this frustrating state of affairs as they age. In
good physical health, the desire to "go" and "do" is strong, yet
memory loss can make living an independent, active life difficult,
or at the very least, unsafe. What's more, family members may not
be close by. It may be necessary to move into an assisted living
facility or senior care home even though no physical impairment is
present.
That was the situation Scotty Mcleod found himself
in and here is how adult day programs helped him make the
best of living with memory loss.
George (Scotty) McLeod is from Scotland (hence
the nickname). Nearly 80 years old, Scotty spent his entire life
seeking high adventure in the great outdoors. In his teens, he
developed skills as a rock, snow and ice climber. A world-class
mountaineer well-known in Great Britain, he was tapped to explore
Antarctica with a team of geophysicists-for seven years escorting
scientists through the icy wilderness by dog sled. He received the
Polar Medal from Queen Elizabeth of England for his efforts. He
moved to the United States and joined The Colorado Outward Bound
School faculty, where he shared his talents and skills for more
than 20 years. When Scotty was 59 years old, he was part of a team
of climbers who made an attempt up the difficult west ridge of Mt.
Everest. To celebrate his 60th birthday, his family sent him to the
base of Mt. McKinley, where he trained a team of dogs to run the
Iditarod, Alaska's famous cross-country endurance feat. Clearly,
this is a man in pursuit of the active life.
But this epic story was about to change. After
returning to Scotland, the effects of memory loss jeopardized his
life and his relationships. He fell into a difficult and depressing
time, described by some as living in a cocoon; afraid to talk,
socialize or pursue outdoor activities. His family brought him back
to the states and began looking for solutions. In the end they
found the right combination of resources-an assisted living
facility would become his home and "high impact" activities at The
Johnson Center would fill his need for long hikes, exercise,
all-day excursions, companionship and social outings with friends.
His family reports that he is reaffirmed when he returns from a day
of activities. His moods and his mental outlook have improved
dramatically. He has been a part of IJADP for a number of
years, and still attends daytrips.
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Warren Keyes
To Dance Again
Warren first came to the
InnovAGe Johnson Adult Day Program a little more than a year
ago. Warren grew up in North Carolina and found a
fantastic hobby of deep sea fishing. He pursued a college
education, and with a masters degree from Columbia, Warren had
served in the European theater during World War II. He then
went on to teach at the college level and served as a middle school
principal. Mostly, Warren had loved to dance with his wife.
Before coming to
IJADP, Warren was withdrawn, weak and socially isolated.
He needed assistance walking. His wife had been gone for three
years and he was living with his daughter and son-in-law who both
had become concerned about Warren's overall quality of life.
Since being a part of IJADP
things have been looking up for Warren! He smiles,
enjoys life, and attends our Daytripping Program activities without
the use of his walker. His life has been filled with joy and
he has many new friends, and is never shy to ask the IJADP Staff
members for a dance!
To learn more about activities and other
programs specifically designed for active people living with
Alzheimer's, contact The InnovAge Johnson Adult Day
Program:
CONTACT US: