STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
The gang at the Senior Connection is about to hit the road—on rickshaw bikes and adult tricycles.
It’s part of a new program called On the Move, which provides exercise and outdoor stimulation for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Connection was just awarded a $5,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to help fund the program. A personal trainer will lead the bike rides with staff members and volunteers accompanying the riders.
The program is offered free of charge.
“The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America strongly believes in helping grassroots and government organizations provide the hands-on programs and services that help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses continue to live meaningful lives,” said Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., the organization’s president and chief executive officer.
Teresa Beahen Lipman, the executive director of The Senior Connection, said her organization is grateful for the assistance in helping members of her organization’s Connection Club get out in the valley to feel the wind in their hair.
The fresh air, exercise and stimulation to the senses will bring smiles to the faces of clients living with memory loss, she added.
The Adult Day Care Connection Club provides stimulating programming ranging from art projects to dancing, while allowing caregivers a break four days a week. The organization also hosts monthly caregiver support group meetings.
The Alzheimer’s Foundation is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations providing care and services to individuals living with dementia and to their caregivers and families. For more information about the Alzheimer’s Foundation, visit www.alzfdn.org or call the national toll-free helpline at 866-232-8484.