Lisa’s mom, Sandy, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003. “When it happens to you, to your family, suddenly it’s not just a disease on television anymore or a medical problem happening to someone else. It’s at your door, and there’s no turning away from the prognosis.”
How You Know When It’s Time for Memory Care
Typical of many families, Lisa and her sister found themselves facing an aging parent with a serious medical condition. At first, they felt comfortable with Sandy staying in her home with her significant other. “As Mom’s condition progressed, both my sister and I noticed a marked difference in her cognition,” shares Lisa.
When Sandy got on the wrong bus one day and became very lost, the siblings knew they needed a different option for their mom. They rearranged their lives to work with their mother’s condition, making room to take care of their mom, Sandy.
Choosing an Assisted Living Facility?
“After six years of taking care of my mom,” shares Lisa, "We decided that we needed to find an assisted living facility for her. We knew Mom needed a facility where she could easily transition from assisted living into memory care.”
“The first thing we looked for in a place was how good the food tasted,” states Lisa. “Once we found a place that had consistently well prepared meals we knew Mom would enjoy, then we furthered discussions with the facility about activities and living arrangements.”
As Lisa remembers the days of taking care of her family and her mom, the discussions, as well as the unexpected twists and turns of dementia, a wealth of emotions flash across her face. Her features settle on gratitude for the life her mom led in care. Lisa turns and says with a wry smile, “Getting old ain't for the faint of heart.”
Mom Enters Assisted Living
As Sandy transitioned into care, Lisa noticed the number of activities that the assisted living facility had created for the residents. Impressed by the sheer volume of things to do, Lisa found herself spending more time with her mom at the facility taking part in the activities the coordinator and staff had prepared.
“As Mom’s memory significantly changed, I found it easier to visit her when there was an activity that I could help Mom complete or participate in myself,” she states. “In being a part of the fun, Mom and I found it easier to share our thoughts and laugh because we were focused on the activity, and not her waning memory.”
Made an Impression
Lisa recognized the value and level of care and compassion the activity’s staff provided. Having worked in the banking industry herself for years, she was quite impressed with the staff’s level of service and ingenuity, as well as the activity director’s passion for keeping the residents involved in tasks and activities.
With appreciation and optimism, she watched her mother blossom into a different person, engaging in activities with other residents, including the staff, enjoying her time in assisted living, regardless of her medical condition, which eventually left her unable to recall Lisa as her daughter without prompting.
“The changes to her personality suited her, and I was relieved that she had found a place that worked with her challenges and embraced them,” Lisa explains. “Rather than focusing on what she had lost, the staff put her attention on what she still had, which gave her the means to live her remaining years on her own terms.”
Oh Happy Days–Mom’s Legacy Wrapped in a Box
“Mom didn’t resemble the individual I knew as a kid or from my adult life. She became carefree and lighthearted, which was a transformation from the woman I had known.”
Watching her mom turn into a different person, Lisa recognized that she was still learning from her mother. “As I watched my mom’s personality change and grow into someone completely different, I decided that I was free as well to choose a different direction for my life and work.”
“And that’s the reason I left my career in banking,” says Lisa smiling. “I chose to put my skills and knowledge toward helping people find a path of joy and happiness in unexplored and tumultuous territory. Oh Happy Days is the legacy from working in assisted living and memory care. It is my way of empowering families and facilities while honoring my mom’s memory.”
Our Mission
Our mission at Oh Happy Days is to find and combine fun, engaging things to do in our care packages. We prioritize being a one stop resource for families and the activity’s departments within facilities.
We provide quality products and exemplary customer service, while developing informative newsletters via email for families and for facilities. We’ll be covering topics from activity ideas to better understanding how to work with memory care and hospice patients.
Maintaining connection, stability, and care for residents takes a village. It takes family, friends, the staff at the facilities, and the care of multiple professionals and organizations as well. “We are determined to be a resource for the village,” explains Lisa.
“By providing relevant information, activities, and connecting families and facilities with more resources, along with awesome bling and U.S. based customer service, Oh Happy Days will fulfill its primary objective: To Make Mom Proud!”