There’s one thing Beverly Urness never forgets: playing the piano. Over the past 40 years, Beverly has taught piano to more than 100 students. In recent years, though, living independently had become a challenge to Beverly as her dementia progressed. Today, she’s a Lifespark client, living with dementia in the Memory Care community at Summit Place, a SilverCrest property, and still inspiring others with her music.
When Beverly needed additional levels of support dealing with her dementia, the one thing her daughter Karen was adamant about was Beverly not losing her passion and ability to play the piano. She began working with Beverly’s Lifespark Life Care Manager, who used the Lifespark Experience™ model to help create a pathway for Beverly to continue focusing on what was most meaningful to her.
“It’s breathtaking to watch her so effortlessly recall music without the notes in front of her,” said Debbie, a nurse who serves as her Lifespark Life Care Manager. “Once she starts playing she continues without stopping, even playing by ear. When she’s sitting at the piano you’d never know she has memory issues.” When Beverly came to Summit Place, Debbie met her exactly where she was – a woman struggling to remember day-to-day routines but held a deep passion for piano playing. Beverly’s Life Plan addresses the multitude of issues that could interfere with Beverly’s top priority of playing music. That included proactive health, showering and getting dressed, medication management and helping her stay safe in her new environment.
When the Lifespark and SilverCrest teams coordinated a piano recital in honor of Beverly, her talent and passion was center stage. When she played, it was evident that passion and purpose are stronger than memory as everyone watched Beverly play with such grace and recognition. Even with dementia, in that moment, her memory was sparked because she put passion and purpose first.