The team was charged to find activities that Mom enjoyed. Every day had outings. Walks, the library, visits with friends, finding puppies to play with and children to hug.

One of the team took Mom to a toddler reading program at the library.  At first the program was not sure but as soon as they saw how the kids just loved having a Great Grandma that dispensed hugs freely they were on board.  Even asking if we knew of more available Great Grandma’s.  The children would line up for hugs at the end of the hour.

Dancing had always been one of Mom’s loves.  She now danced three times a week, traveling to other communities to enjoy the senior center’s weekly dance party featuring live music.  Mom would enter the hall with a yodel and everyone knew she was there. She no longer remembered the steps but would get up and circle the floor with her team member, shuffling her feet to the music as best she could.  Occasionally a gentleman would ask Mom to dance.  And her eyes would twinkle with the attention and she would flirt a bit.  Occasionally a wife would get jealous!  Sometimes the team member would have to fend off the attentions focused on them of a lonely elderly gent but it was all in the line of work.

Mom contributed so much to these dances as she brought hope and mitigated fear of a terrible illness.  Many of the people there were facing the beginning symptoms, some were caring for people with the disease and here was an example of a woman clearly affected by the disease but still able to enjoy life.  There was hope beyond the despair of the first diagnosis.  There were options beyond the walls of a care home.