Julie Verriest plays guitar for Brown Program participants in a virtual music session. In addition, weekly virtual programming has been offered to care partners to offer support and education. So Banooni and her staff swung into action, seamlessly switching to bi-weekly virtual programs for participants: a musical session with popular music specialist and entertainer Michael Krieger and a variety hour with Julie Verriest, Manager of Senior Adult Services at JVS. This could also mean a loss of dexterity and mobility from lack of exercise. She explained how studies have shown that isolation and lack of interaction could increase progression of dementia, and that with faster cognitive decline, physical ailments could also be exacerbated. “We knew how vital it is for our participants to be able to socialize and experience positive familiar triggers to maintain skills and memories, but the isolation from the pandemic has been huge,” says Debi Banooni, Director of the Brown Program. All the enjoyable activities, music, companionship, physical exercise, and outings came to a screeching halt, but the need for connections remained. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the staff worried about how they would maintain a connection with this vulnerable group of seniors who could no longer be in-person at the centers run in Southfield and West Bloomfield. The virtual program is offered by the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program, a joint initiative between JVS Human Services and Jewish Senior Life, which aims to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their care partners.
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