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Seniors shine in "The Festival of Lights"
(by Karen F. Mrnarevic - December 05, 2007)
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Staff Photo by Karen F. Mrnarevic
Grace Bellizzi, of the Woodcliff Lake Health and
Rehabilitation
Center leads residents in a performance of “The Festival of Lights.”
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The Woodcliff Lake Health and
Rehabilitation
Center is not a run-of-the-mill nursing home. And neither is the staff of its Recreation Department. Linda Levins, who heads the department, has begun to usher in a new era at the center, instituting a Creative Arts Program, the purpose of which, she says, is to “celebrate life and creativity.”
During the month of December, a group of residents at the Center, whom the staff refers to as the “Woodcliff Lakes Performing Arts Club,” will put on two performances in celebration of the holidays. The first, “The Festival of Lights,” a story of the origins of Hanukkah, was performed on Monday, Dec. 3. The play was written, choreographed and directed by Recreation Coordinator Grace Bellizzi.
“I have been going crazy getting ready for this show,” says Bellizzi, between assembling residents, most of whom are wheelchair bound, on stage and prepping them for their performance. A dab of lipstick here, a kerchief tied there, and the performers are ready to go. Bellizzi beams, “Look at them. They are so hyped up.”
Bellizzi admits that it can be hard to involve the residents, who often suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia, in a theatrical performance, but she believes the benefits of the Creative Arts Program at the center far outweigh the difficulties the staff faces.
“One of the ladies in the performance told me, ‘This is like living all over again,”’ says Bellizzi. She feels that the residents blossom when encouraged to participate in activities that stimulate their minds and bodies.
“This is my first show,” says a resident named Sylvia. “The way I feel right now, I hope it’s my last,” she laughs, marveling at her pre-performance nerves. “Grace is such a perfectionist. She makes us do things over and over until we get it right.” But despite the pressure she feels as the commencement of the show nears, Sylvia is comforted by Bellizzi’s mantra: “You do your best and forget the rest.”
The recreation staff at the Center spends a lot of time coming up with ideas to occupy the time of the residents, filling their days with projects geared toward activating their memories and stimulating their minds and bodies. Levins, who used to be a textile designer, says she enjoys sharing her love of the arts with the residents.
“We do scrap booking and crafts… In fact, all the decorations at the center were made by the residents,” she says. “We also have a cooking club, which is very creative.” Among the other activities Levin and her staff facilitate are a poetry club, a computer tutorial, multicultural programs, pet therapy, “dancercise,” and art appreciation lectures. She says they try to come up with activities that are suitable for residents of all levels of mental and physical ability.
During the performance another face stands out among the bevy of staffers who are scrambling to organize the performers and give them their cues. Barbara Welch, of
Woodcliff
Lake , does not work at the Center, but says she spends a good portion of every day here with her father, Chet, who is 91 and suffers from an acute lung condition. Chet plays the role of King Antiochus in the Hanukkah performance. “Many of the residents say they can’t imagine anybody else playing the part of the King,” says Welch. “My father is the quiet type, a gentle soul.”
She goes on to describe the experience her family has had in caring for her father: “He used to live with us, along with my mother, who passed away not long ago,” says Welch.
“My father has been in a number of rehab facilities, and this is the only one that we can really call home.” Welch recalls a recent evening, when she and her husband brought Chet out to dinner. She says her father got tired as the night wore on. “He actually asked me, ‘when’s the next bus home?’ It’s a real testament to what this place means to its residents and their families.”
Since she spends so much time at the Center she has come to know many of the residents very well. “I love them all. The experience has taught me the real meaning of the phrase, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’” says Welch. She believes that senior citizens, especially those with memory loss or physical disabilities, are often assumed to be inert and useless, when they actually “have so much to offer.” She says that taking care of her mom and dad was her whole life for eight years, and now she can’t think of anything more rewarding that giving her time to the Center. “This is the most important thing in my life. I have been enriched by the experiences I have had here and the people I have come to know.”
After the performance ends, a lively resident named Lily revels in her newfound celebrity. “My nephew called from
California and said he was going to be on a game show,” she says with a broad smile, “but it looks like I’m going to make the paper before he does.”
The Woodcliff Lake Health and
Rehabilitation
Center is located at 555 Chestnut Ridge Rd. The “Woodcliff Lakes Performing Arts Club” will be putting on a second show, telling the story of the birth of Jesus, on Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. For more information on the Center, call 201-391-0900.
Karen F. Mrnarevic's e-mail address is Mrnarevic@northjersey.com
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