By Maureen Smith
MADISON – Residents of Campbell Cove at St. Catherine’s Village enjoyed a day in their honor during a Paint the Town Purple event Friday, Sept. 29. October is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month so the staff wanted to host something to honor members of their community with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. Campbell Cove is dedicated to serving those with dementia.
Latoya Thomas, a social worker at St. Catherine’s, got the idea when she attended a Mississippi Department of Mental Health event several years ago. She said she wanted the residents to get a day just for them. The staff organized carnival-themed games, such as balloon volleyball and a bean bag toss. Everyone enjoyed carnival food including cotton candy and nachos.
In addition to celebrating current residents, the staff invited the families of those who have died of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia to honor their memories with prayer and a balloon release. Chris Young, a rehabilitation technician, read their names. “This event gave me a lot of clarity about the ones we have lost to Alzheimer’s. I personally know all the ones on the list because I helped them in their therapy so all of them meant a lot to me because I had one-on-one relationships with them,” he said.
“Today we enjoyed a wonderful event. Every day we get to spend with our seniors is just a joy and with our seniors who have dementia our motto is just to meet them where they are every day and celebrate moments of joy along their journey. It’s a blessing and a joy to be with our elders, said Lisa Wilburn, the director of Campbell Cove.
(St Catherine’s Village offers levels of care from independent living to nursing home care.)