Almost 30 years ago, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. One of the heartbreaking aspects was that she couldn't do all the things she loved - cooking, gardening, arranging flowers - but when she began attending Life Enrichment Center Adult Day Care, she cooked every day at the center and hoed, planted and harvested in their garden. She found joy and fulfillment. It is in her memory that I have created this blog for Life Enrichment.
"Learn to Bloom" was created to encourage caregivers of adults.
About 13 years ago, I started volunteering at Life Enrichment because of the philosophy of "behavior acceptance" I had seen and appreciated many years before. Soon, I was working there.
We at Life Enrichment Center Adult Day Care and Health Service believe that everyone deserves the chance to bloom despite difficult circumstances and the season of life we're experiencing - whether that person has been diagnosed with an illness or is the one providing the care.
"Learn to Bloom" means two things for caregivers - 1)sometimes we can't change the hand we've been dealt but we can learn to play that hand to find joy in everyday life 2)the best medicine for a person with an illness is an understanding family; understanding comes from learning about the illness and learning coping techniques. As philosopher Thich Nhat Hanh has said, "With understanding, those we love will certainly flower."
I am inviting all of Life Enrichment's staff and volunteers to join me as we share the joy of seeing lives bloom. - Linda
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I so enjoyed cooking with Vina and Jessie yesterday. Knowing that both grew up on a farm, I thought I would get a conversation started about raising chickens since we were busy cracking eggs and whisking in milk for a breakfast casserole. I asked if raising chickens were a lot of trouble. Jessie replied that they sure were. Vina then stated they weren't nearly as much trouble as ducks. She went on to say they had three ducks on their farm and they got into EVERYTHING!! Jessie chimed in to say that their ducks used to eat their cucumbers from the garden. From there, the two proceeded to reminisce and talk about their childhood on the farm. It is so amazing that these two who had never met prior to enrolling at Life Enrichment Center had similar life experiences and were able to enjoy socializing while drawing on their memories and life experinces while also drawing on their life skills to help prepare a meal for their peers. What a wonderful experience!!
ReplyDeleteI am the director of Life Enrichment Center. Reading Linda's blog reminded me of something.
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest daughter, Heather, was six years old, she wrote a poem about me called,"My Mom Loves Flowers". The poem is beautiful and I cherish it to this day. Heather describes why her Mom (me) loves flowers. It's because they come in all colors and scents and although each is unique on its own, when they come together in a bouquet, the effect is wonderful.
This is what I have had the privledge of seeing with the participants at Life Enrichment Center for thirty years and why I so love my job.....whereas flowers come in all colors and shapes and scents,our participants are young and old, black and white; they have illnesses from Alzheimer's to Down's Syndrome.But what a wondrous bouquet they make.....using their strenghts and abilities they help each other through each day, When I look at them, it's like looking out into a lovely garden..........everyone so different in their own way but together, blooming gloriously! How blessed we are at Life Enrichment to be able to experience this every day!