Senior Stories
Gerdie
Gerdie ws sitting in the front row of my laughter class. The room was packed. She looked at me intently
for 20 min. nodding, laughing and clapping. At one point one of her neighbors sitting close by said: Gerdie is 101 yrs old! I was amazed and danced my way over to her, asking her loudly- are you really 101 years old? She smiled and said: Yes, and I can't hear a word you're saying!
I laughed for hours with that one. Always good to check your ego at the door most days.
Margaret
Margaret had a beautiful smile. She was wheeled into my laughter class late one day and took one look at Desi, my smaller Shih Tzu and asked me if she could hold her. I gingerly picked her up and placed her in her lap. She held her for about 5 minutes while I finished up class. When it was time for us to leave, I had Lucy on a leash and Margaret had Desi. She asked if she could keep her. I laughed and said that she could keep her all the way to the front door. So she took her in the elevator and to the front door, asking me again if she could keep her. I said, no but she definitely loves you very much and we would see her next month. She was happy with that answer and blessed me. I hugged her and said thank you.
Next month, we had the same drill- Desi even walked over to her on her own this time.
This went on for a few months. In February I walked in and started my laughter class, towards the end I asked Calvin, who always wheeled Margaret down with Desi-where Margaret was today. He turned to me and cocked his head. She died this weekend, we had her memorial service yesterday. I broke out crying. I just didn’t expect it. How did she die I asked. He said, she just died, she was old.
Marie
Marie lived in a house on the property of the assisted living community by the beach.
She heard I was having dogs visit and came over with her walker in tow. She held each of my dogs and started telling me how she and her husband had raised many dogs over the years and showed them all over the country. She looked at Desi and Lucy pointed to Lucy, sharing: This one is the Princess, she does not have time for all of this nonsense.
Then pointing to desi: This one is a little Devil and very quick.
She was right on both accounts. I would think so, she was 99 years old.
Dorothy
Dorothy lived at a managed care facility. She was in a wheelchair when Desi and Lucy
And I arrived in the cafeteria. She took Lucy in her arms and held her for some time while we did laughter exercises. After she passed the dog back to me, she started clapping with the rhythm. Ho-Ho-Ha-Ha-Ha she followed all my instructions and then asked for the dog back again. She told me about a black lab that she had owned for many years named Sadie. How she loved that dog so much. She noticed how well behaved my little angels were and said I did a good job with them. I thanked her and held her hand for a few minutes. We parted and I went home happy.
About 2 months later I got a call from the activity director telling me she wanted me to come back to the facility again. She wanted me to know how much my program had touched her seniors. She then shared with me that Dorothy had passed away a few weeks before and that since my laughter class, she had been the happiest they had seen her in 2 years and that I needed to know that she died with a smile on her face. I was stunned and of course broke out into tears, overjoyed with this news.
And to think I didn’t feel the program went over that well, you just never know.
Al
When I first met him I was at the assisted living portion of a local Baptist Retirement home. He shook my hand when I asked him my name and smiled at me while his eyes twinkled. I could see he had accomplished a lot in his life.
The laughter exercises I did, didn’t really thrill him that much, but then…I led everyone in the hokey-pokey from their wheelchairs and chairs. Al got up and walked over to me grabbed me and started dancing with me. I was startled and started laughing as I let him lead me in a very upbeat waltz. He was a good dancer, just a little shaky today and yet a very strong leader. I enjoyed that day so much and never forgot how much I enjoyed his spontaneity and vigor. There was nothing that would get between his wanting to dance with me in that moment, and I relished every minute of it.
Some months later I was at another memory care facility and there sitting in front of me on the couch was Al. He smiled and nodded at me when I said hello, and jumped right up and started dancing with me again. The staff told me he loved to dance. I told them I knew and we had danced together before. Every month we would see each other, he clapped with the laughter exercises and the rhythm would always get him going to the point of getting up and dancing, even alone.
Last week I asked about Al as he had moved down to the 2nd floor care unit and did not attend my laughter class anymore. The activity director told me that he had just passed away and they had his memorial service that weekend. He shared that his daughter taught college in town and that she had shared some great stories with them about her father. It made me want to contact her, so I did- no response yet.
Perhaps in death there is a solace and a celebration we need to keep sacred.
Clown Noses
This was my first day working with patients who had Alzheimer’s. I brought several sponge red clown noses to the group to pass out. I showed each of them how to put them onto their noses when all of a sudden one woman yells: I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!!
So I walked over and showed her how to take it off. She smiled and said: That’s better.
One of the residents, Virginia was no particularly present that day, her mind was floating
Off in a pleasant place as she had a nice calm look on her face. Trudy, on the other hand was all fired up that day. I led the group in the Ha-ha-ho-ho-ho exercise with clapping. Trudie extended the cheer and started yelling loudly ahahahahahahahheheheheheheheheheheehehehehehehehhahahaahahahaha
I stood next to her and waited, then she looked up at me: I asked if she was finished, she told me: OH LIGHTEN UP!
I laughed so hard, she completely put me in my place!!
So then it happened Trudy threw her nose at Virginia. Virginia came out of her stupor and stared at Trudy then shot up to her feet. She was 6’3 at least.
She said: She threw a ball at me!
Trudy: No I didn’t
Virginia: Yes you did
Trudy: No I didn’t
Virginia (stepping closer): You need to apologize
Trudy: No I don’t I didn’t do anything
Virginia (touching Trudy’s shoulder): yes you threw a ball at me
Trudy: No I don’t know what you’re talking about
Virginia: yes you do (touching her again)
Trudy: No I don’t (touching Virginia back)
Then the two started slapping each other in full force. I looked around for the staff
And they had vanished. So with my heart racing-I got in between them and physically broke it up. I asked them to sit down and they both forgot all about it, within a few seconds.
When the staff came back, I told them we had a slap fight over the noses. Their reaction was classic: Yeah that sometimes happens. I asked if they wouldn’t mind having someone around next class, just in case. They agreed.
From then on, I have had anywhere from 2-4 staff members at my classes because they love to laugh and love seeing their people engaged.
Don
The most amazing thing about this laughter work is the response you can get from seniors who have dementia. One day I had a group that all had some level of dementia. They laughed and clapped and sang with me. The singing always gets a great response as in the brain, songs and rythm seem to stay longer than other memories in the brain. In the beginning of the session I had everyone do the "Queen Wave" which is where you wave you hand (wrist) like the Queen of England and shout: heeheehee at the same time. The group liked that one and laughed about it. There was one man named Don who nodded once in a while but generally didn't do any of the motions. He fell asleep at one point. Then about 20 min later I looked over at him and he raised his arm slowly. Then put his hand up in the air and slowly waved like the Queen at me and grinned slightly. I caught this moment and ran over to give him a hug. I whispered in his ear that I knew he was paying attention, and he smiled and patted me.
Heartwarming stuff.
