MOVEMENT, MUSIC AND MEMORY
Approximately 150 participants raced through Foulkeways at Gwynedd’s 130 acre grounds as staff and residents cheered them on with cowbells during the retirement community’s Second Annual Forget Me Knot 5K and 1 Mile Walk in Gwynedd.
“This event is a wonderful opportunity to bring community together — residents, employees, family members, vendors, neighbors — all were welcomed this year,” said Susan Schulz, Foulkeways director of activities.
Proceeds from the event will support Foulkeways’ community outreach program of Music and Memory, a nonprofit founded in 2010 by Dan Cohen that trains elder care professionals how to provide personalized music to residents or clients suffering from Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia and a wide range of mental, physical and social challenges.
Foulkeways resident and 1-mile walk participant Lois Pan carried her late husband Ed’s iPod shuffle to listen along to during the walk in memory of him.
“My husband and I were ballroom dancers and used to dance several times a week. All of the old music we’d dance to — swing, jitterbug — was added to this iPod for him when he went into the care unit,” said Pan.
Foulkeways purchased 25 iPods from last year’s proceeds and added about 75 to 80 personalized songs for individuals suffering with dementia residing in Montgomery, Bucks, Philadelphia, Delaware and Chester
counties for Friends LifeCare to share. Decades of neuroscience research about the brain-music connection have built a strong case for the ways that familiar music associated with significant personal memories can help dementia patients reconnect with their memories and loved ones.
“There’s nothing like seeing a person who was unable to communicate with loved ones come back to life with music. Whether it’s tapping their feet, smiling, laughing, or connecting with their loved one — we saw first-hand the benefits of this program and it’s not right to keep it all to ourselves!” said Schulz.
“One Quaker value is equality and caring for all people, not just those living or working on our campus,” she added. Foulkeways awarded 11 cash prizes for each age category from 12 and younger, 13-20, 2130, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 6170, over 70, over 80 and over 90 years old. Additionally, the retirement community awarded prizes to those who finished first in the 5K and 1-mile walk. This year’s top winners were: Todd Barton for first male to complete the 5K, Kaleigh Evans for first female to finish the 5K, and Jake Kimmel for completing the 1-mile walk first.
Warfel Construction, Flik Lifestyles and Computer Solutions sponsored the event. In addition, Born to Run, a locally owned sports shop in Springhouse, donated two certificates. Schulz first heard about the Music and Memory program through the son of a Foulkeways resident couple. “I then attended the Pioneer Network Conference on Long Term Care Culture Change, and heard Dan Cohen speak about the success of Music and Memory. It’s such a basic concept with such remarkable results!” said Schulz.