I was pleased to be part of the 2015 Valentine’s Day celebration when asked to read January’s column about my 24th wedding anniversary at Live Oak Adult Day Services.
Everyone should visit Live Oak. Located next to Wheeler Manor on Sixth Street, it’s a unique gem in the heart of Gilroy that provides seniors with an enjoyable daytime environment.
The seniors surrounding me, in a comfortable circle of chairs and couches as I read, were game to go along for the ride and enjoy whatever happened.
After I’d finished my love story, they began telling me how long they had been married. A rosy-cheeked woman named Christine with a beautiful smile said she had enjoyed a marriage that lasted sixty-five years.
“He was a wonderful person,” she said.
One shared tie that brought mutual understanding between them was the deaths of their mothers, hers when she was ten and his when he was only six.
I asked Lillian, married for sixty years and mom to nine children, what the secret is to her long marriage.
“Just keep going!” she said.
“I’m happy to be here,” said Maura, who hails from Balayan in the Philippines. Her story varied from the others in that she only shared 24 years with her husband.
She pulled out a faded photo of him that she has carried with her for more than fifty years. In it, Esteban smiles up from the photo as a young man, handsome forever. He died in a jeep accident while delivering goods for the family business.
“I supported four children, and they all went to university,” Maura said, beaming with pride among her friends at adult day services.
Live Oak has been part of the Gilroy community since 1993 and is the only adult day care center in South County. There never is a dull moment as seniors from Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin, Hollister, and sometimes as far away as Santa Nella, enjoy enriching activities, safe supervision, meals, games, music, socializing, crafts, entertainment, and exercise from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
There is a lot of humor and such a positive ambiance at Live Oak. On Feb. 3, the day before my visit, they had enjoyed International Fake Moustache Day by wearing silly stick-on moustaches—and they were looking forward to Bad Joke Friday.
Even when something serious takes place, something humorous comes of it. Take the Heimlich maneuver, for example. Only once has it been needed, when someone began to choke on a bit of lunch. It was years ago, but it made a lasting impression because at the moment that the food was successfully dislodged, the individual’s false teeth were dislodged too and went flying through the air.
“The lesson learned,” someone commented, “is to hold onto your teeth!”
It was Yetta’s birthday during my recent visit, and the sixteen seniors gathered for lunch celebrated by singing a lively rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
When asked about her age, Yetta said, “I’m trying to figure out what age I am.”
It was clear that those at the table didn’t buy her “poor” memory for a moment.
Director Cheryl Huguenor took her photo and printed it out instantly for Yetta to keep.
“It really looks like me,” Yetta said, inspecting the photo. “Hmmm…I had my day. It could be worse.” Looking at her hair, she said, “It’s the real thing.”
Gloria, Assistant Director for 21 years, said she still loves coming to work at Live Oak.
“It’s not even like a job,” she said as she led a lively bi-lingual bingo game. “It’s like hanging out with all your grandmas and grandpas.”
Director Huegenor and her staff of five rotate tasks and are great pros at incorporating sharing kitchen tasks, serving lunch, giving out meds and leading activities seamlessly.
Hueguenor said, “We are grateful for all the help we’ve had and fortunate in being able to provide a great program that resonates so well with people. We have so many amazing volunteers who come here regularly and that definitely enriches our program.”
A big bulletin board features photos of the countless volunteers who come to share their talents, such as Animal Assisted Happiness volunteer Simone Haroush. She brings goats, bunnies, chickens, guinea pigs and actual pigs to visit. And musicians such as Hermann Schmalzried, who plays the cornet and handharmonika, AKA the button box. Chris and Jack Bradshaw entertain with ragtime piano duets. Washboard Kitty will be visit on Feb. 19 to dazzle with energetic tunes on her homemade washboard that get everyone up on the dance floor.
“I LOVE coming here,” Kitty Wilson said. “I feel like I can make a contribution—it’s wonderful to see such enthusiasm and happiness.”
To be sure, it’s the kind of place we all hope will be there for us in our time of need, a place that forestalls or prevents the need for nursing home placement, a place that gives respite to caregivers and a place where everyone is treated with dignity, respect, gentleness and loving care by the staff and visitors.
“Sometimes people are afraid that this is like a nursing home till they walk in and see how vibrant it is,” Huguenor says with a grin.
The non-profit center depends on funding from various sources, including the city, Gilroy Foundation, United Way, and grants, along with fees paid by participants and determined by a sliding scale based upon income. Many seniors live on incomes too low to pay more than a fraction of what it costs to provide services.
“Live Oak is the kind of center that is only made possible,” Huguenor said, “by the overwhelming community support we’ve experienced over the past 21 years.”
Box
If you can help Live Oak Adult Day Services with donations from the list below, please contact Cheryl Huguenor at (408) 847-5491.
- New sandwich board parking signs for out front
- Copy paper
- Black Sharpie pens
- White-out
- Sugar-free hot chocolate, jam, & maple syrup
- Items for upcoming holidays: decorative napkins, cups, stickers, etc.
