This week’s guest blogger is Jodi DiRaimo, Resident Engagement Director at our Lighthouse at Lincoln community.
Members of our Lighthouse at Lincoln community were recently treated to some special visitors that I’d like to tell you about. On a sunny October Saturday, we had the pleasure of hosting my son Justin and his hockey teammates from nearby Providence College, who spent the day with us at LH. We began with a one-hour orientation I led on the topics of dementia, our approach to its symptoms, and its specific relationship to traumatic brain injury. The team had great questions and our conversation was quite lively on a topic that was new to some of them – though we did have three Biology majors in the group!
The teammates then split up and spread out among the LH neighborhoods to engage in individual conversations amongst our elders. When the group came back together in the afternoon, the students and residents listened to vintage radio clips of famous sports moments and sifted through sports photos. LH community members lit up with memories of their favorite athletes and sports events, and had fun reminiscing about Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig, as well as the unforgettable “Miracle On Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics!
The students are already talking about coming back, and LH residents were thrilled to have them. LH ladies exclaimed over the “young handsome men” and the LH men were just as happy to swap stories and share some “guy talk”. It was a day filled with warmth, laughter, and youthful spirit, with very little evidence of dementia to be found – just astounding!
It was so deeply rewarding to plan this event and watch it unfold, and I’m so happy to be able to share the experience with you.