I once worked in a convalescent home where conditions were so
disturbing that I only lasted on the job for a week.
I once worked in a convalescent home where conditions were so disturbing that I only lasted on the job for a week. After seeing how poorly operated the place was, the final straw for me came the day I witnessed an elderly woman suffer a gash to her head in a nasty fall. It was completely preventable but had occurred due to a lack of adequately trained staff. As an ambulance came to transport her to the hospital, I will never forget her son shaking his fist at me and screaming, “How could you let this happen to my mom?!” I quit that day and never went back.
It’s not a convalescent home, but Live Oak Adult Day Services is a unique gem in the heart of Gilroy where seniors can go during the day and where they are treated with care and respect. It’s a place everyone should visit at least once.
“Sometimes people are afraid that this is like a nursing home ’til they walk in and see how vibrant it is,” Director Cheryl Huguenor said.
There is never a dull moment as seniors from Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy and Hollister enjoy games, music, socializing, crafts and exercise from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at the facility, located next to Wheeler Manor on Sixth Street. They travel the world vicariously, enjoying presentations on travel by locals who bring photos and souvenirs to share. Park rangers and 4-H students bring furry friends to visit. Children from Judy’s Helping Hands Preschool also participate in center events.
The seniors are a diverse and amazing bunch. Going only by their first names at the center, one of the seniors I met on Wednesday was Frances, who has lived in Gilroy for 97 years. Frances not only got up and danced to Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” but she sang along to Santana’s “Evil Ways” during music appreciation time.
Frances has known Grace, one of the other seniors at Live Oak, since they were both babies. Grace was a performer in the original group of Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. She was still doing the splits up until age 85!
Sitting just across from Grace at lunch, I met a lovely lady in pink by the name of Jean, who told me about Gilroy when it still had wooden sidewalks.
“My father was the first mail carrier,” she said.
Both Huguenor and Assistant Director Gloria Martinez-King have worked at the center since its doors first opened 17 years ago.
“I truly enjoy what I do,” Huguenor said. “I look forward to coming to work everyday. The whole community has embraced us from the beginning.”
The nonprofit depends upon funding from a number of sources, including the City of Gilroy, Gilroy Foundation, United Way and various grants, as well as fees paid by participants determined by a sliding scale of income. Gavilan College’s Adult Education Program offers classes at the center in music, art, exercise and coping with life’s challenges.
The seniors keep the place bright and cheerful by making colorful and creative decorations for the center, including paintings, quilts and holiday art for bulletin boards, walls and ceiling.
One of the bulletin boards features photos of the countless volunteers who come to share their talents, such as musicians Lori Franke and her young violin students; Hermann Schmalzried, who plays the cornet and button accordion; Chris and Jack Bradshaw, who entertain with ragtime piano duets; and Kitty Wilson, who dazzles with energetic tunes on the homemade washboard that get everyone up on the dance floor.
“I love coming here,” Wilson said. “I feel like I can make a contribution – it’s wonderful to see such enthusiasm and happiness.”
The staff keeps the place sparkling and immaculate, and everyone’s needs are attended to, including keeping track of each person’s medication and special dietary needs. The center serves breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.
Live Oak is the kind of center that is only made possible by the love and support of an entire community. It may take a village to raise our children, but it also takes a village to care for our seniors with the kind of appreciation they deserve for all they have done for us. It’s the kind of place we all hope will be there for us in our time of need, a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, gentleness and care.
