Resident Reflections: A Week with Marcie
Although Marcie Gass has been at St. John’s Home for only a year, her name, smile, and joy are well known. You will almost always find her outside of her room — at an activity or in the dining room in Hastings 2, socializing with other residents, staff members, and her son Mike.
“Mike always comes to visit me and cheer me up,” says Marcie. She notes that she does “not need much cheering up” these days because she is busy.
Polaroid Project with Marcie
A new social media initiative at St. John’s is Resident Reflections. St. John’s communities are home to retired teachers, writers, artists, musicians — people with stories to tell, and we understand that those stories do not disappear when someone moves to St. John’s. With Resident Reflections, residents have full rein with writing or documenting their own story and view on aging and living at St. John’s. Marcie recently took part in this initiative by using St. John’s Polaroid Flip Camera. She photographed and staged her compositions to best show a week in her life at St. John’s Home.
Marcie says she likes to go to everything St. John’s hosts. St. John’s robust therapeutic recreation calendar contains a wide variety of spiritual, social, and musical programs open to everyone in the St. John’s Home. “I love Art in the Studio with Linda,” says Marcie.
“I like taking a lead and helping the others, and Linda lets me do that,” says Marcie, who is a retired middle school special education teacher.
Marcie says that time in the art studio makes her feel “useful” and “creative,” which, according to her, are feelings that everyone should always have, regardless of where they live or their age.
Music and Connection
Another favorite community event of Marcie’s is anything relating to music.
“I go to every concert,” says Marcie. She is also an avid attendee of programs that involve drumming and singing. “I think I know most of the words to most songs,” she laughs when describing a recent Community Sing, in which she carried the choir during the second and third, often forgotten, verses of “Jingle Bells”.
The Community Sing is a new program that is hosted by the St. John’s Spiritual Care Team. It encourages socialization. Also, music has been recognized as a useful memory care tool.
Craft time in the studio, concerts, and drumming are common on Marcie’s social calendar, but December is particularly busy — just how she likes it. “There is lots to do around this time of year,” says Marcie.”
Celebrating the Holidays
Hastings 2 celebrated the holidays with their annual floor party. Marcie invited her son Mike and welcomed fellow St. John’s Home Resident Don Miller to their table. Marcie was meticulous and caring as ever when deciding which table to sit at in the festively decorated Community Center. “I have noticed Don likes to sit near a window to look out at the snow,” she remarked after choosing a table near a window and the musical performer.
Throughout the meal, Marcie was visited by St. John’s employees who “just had to say ‘hi’ to Marcie,” St. John’s Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor John Eilers-Lloyd says, “Marcie is just amazing, what an amazing smile and person.”
Marcie says she is excited to celebrate Christmas with family and friends she loves and wishes everyone “lots of joy.”