Kids Who Care Program

|   Lockport students learn how to build bridges with residents

Photo 1: Rose Kral introduces visitors to one of her favorite furry friends. Photo 2: Jay Dave says the kind of students who join the Interact Club are "good kids with big hearts." Photo 3: Lockport student Maggie Jachym shares pizza with Millie Harvey. "The greatest thing is watching the interaction of the residents and the children," says Kathy Bradley, Victorian Inn's Director of Assisted Living. "You can see the recognition and joy on their faces."

APRIL 18, 2008, Victorian Inn — "I was nervous at first, but I like it now," smiled Adriana Mendoza about her April 18 visit to the memory support center at Victorian Inn. It was Adriana's first visit with someone dealing with Alzheimer's, and she was worried that she wouldn't know what to say. But as she watched the caring staff and fellow students joke around with the residents, her fears melted, and she began enjoying herself.

Adriana and 10 other Lockport High School students had come to share conversation, pizza, and a movie with Victorian Inn's Alzheimer's residents one Friday evening. The students belong to Interact (a community service club sponsored by the Lockport Rotary Club), and four of them— Jay Dave, Dalia Mendoza, Katie Starasinich, and Brittany Yunker—have also been involved with Interact's version of the Kids Who Care Initiative.

Kids Who Care is a program that teaches students about the biology of Alzheimer's, and the sociology of seeing the real people trapped behind the confusing language or behaviors. Students then spend 4 weeks with local residents, putting into practice what they've learned, such as how to ask open-ended questions to trigger memories and make meaningful connections.

When Victorian Inn's General Manager, Mike Venzon, first heard about the Kids Who Care Initiative from Pam Smith of Rush Hospital, he contacted Andrea Quintanar and Anne Lee, teachers at Lockport High School who also lead the Interact Club. They worked with Kathy Bradley, Director of Assisted Living, to bring the program to Victorian Inn.

As part of the Memory Bridge Initiative, each student makes a scrapbook or shadow box for his or her "buddy" to keep as a memento of their time together.

"The sharing of the two generations is wonderful," says Kathy. "Both generations benefit. Our residents feel honored. And the students gain skills that will serve them well throughout life."

The program is in its fourth year at Lockport, and each year's students look forward to returning the following year as mentors for the incoming students, using materials provided by the Kids Who Care Initiative, and teaching from their own experiences at Victorian Inn.

Brittany Yunker, a Lockport senior, is president of Interact and helped set up the Kids Who Care program this year. Next year, when she heads off to Eastern Illinois University, she plans to start an Interact Club there, including the Kids Who Care portion. "It's something we all look forward to," she says.

Jay Dave is a junior who will graduate early and attend college locally next year, so he can continue to serve as a Kids Who Care mentor. Jay is pre-med. When asked if he will find a cure for Alzheimer's, he says confidently, "I'd like to. I don't know. We'll take it one day at a time."

If you would like more information about the Memory Support Program or would be interested in volunteering please contact us at vi@provlife.com or call us at (708) 301-0800.