I’ve been thinking a lot about resilience. Last month we brought Sweet Readers back to our long term partner, The New Jewish Home, in Manhattan. It was a pleasure to be able to see so many residents and their dedicated staff again. One particular resident stood out for me, her name is Carol. Carol looked gaunt and withdrawn when she first appeared on the Zoom screen. Living in any nursing home this past year has been by necessity, extremely stressful and isolating. As the 45 minutes … [Read more...]
Resilience and Vulnerability
The past year has certainly been a difficult year for us all, and difficult times are when we must be resilient. When my grandmother suddenly passed away of COVID-19 last month, I knew I had to stay strong for the rest of my family. But sometimes we can’t be strong; sometimes we must break down. And that does not mean that we are not resilient. As a matter of fact, showing our vulnerabilities is actually a huge part of resilience. Exposing our weaknesses proves that we have the strength to … [Read more...]
Interview with leading neuroscientist, Dr. Nancy Isenberg
Recently, I had the immense honor of interviewing Dr. Nancy Isenberg. Dr. Isenberg is currently the medical director of the Center for Healthy Aging at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, WA and co-director of Project ECHO, a program which works to scale dementia care and primary care. She has also published numerous neuroscience papers. I sat down with Dr. Isenberg to learn more about her implementation of comprehensive and collaborative memory disorder care and the scientific basis … [Read more...]
Interview with Christopher Diaz, 80th Street Residence
Chris is known as a hero in our communities. He patiently listens to and cares for the residents at 80th St. Residence where he works as their Assistant Director of Recreation. I have had the pleasure of working with Chris for many years, watching him facilitate meaningful engagement with our Sweet Readers, first in person in Manhattan and most recently, through Zoom, connecting residents with our Sweet Readers in Chicago, New York, Toronto and Greenwich. I was amazed to learn that Chris … [Read more...]
Interview with Tammy Smith, Parsonage Cottage
As Theodore Roosvelt said, “Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get back up”. With the pandemic, our lives have been turned upside down. We have all faced unprecedented challenges, but what matters is how we continue to make the most of this situation. Tammy Smith, the Residence Service Coordinator at Parsonage Cottage, has truly shown how resilient she has been, working in a memory care residence during the pandemic. In this interview, we will find out the tips Tammy has learned … [Read more...]
Facilitating Resilience through the Generations
Sweet Readers has been extremely important to me. The Sisulu-Walker Charter School Sweet Readers program was even more impactful as my grandma taught there for many years before being diagnosed and sadly passing away with Alzheimer's. I remember telling the students that my grandma taught there, and a teacher informed me they had known her. My grandmother's spirit was kept alive throughout the program by the dedication of the teachers, the empathy of the students, and the hard work of everyone … [Read more...]
Resilience Crossword!
ANSWERS: 1: Isolation 2: adversity 3: resilience 4: connecting 5: zoom 6: mission 7: strength … [Read more...]