It's a breath of fresh air for senior adults
A few years ago Earl Walter and his wife, Norma, were in a car accident. It was a bad one. Norma ended up in ICU in Minneapolis for several months while Earl was left to fend for himself during his wife's recovery. It could have made for a lonely few months for Earl if it weren't for Breath of Life Adult Day Services.
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Earl Walter (right) enjoyed a root beer float while playing cards Thursday with Ed Gryz. Breath of Life director Bob Schricker said Earl, 93, "plays a mean game of 500."
Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
Earl, a World War II veteran, found his way to Breath of Life in Brainerd, where he spent his days with other senior adults and volunteers of all ages. The schedule at Breath of Life is packed with activities, including music, entertainment, exercising, gardening and story sharing time, to name a few.
Earl Walter has quite the story. He was a member of the 1944 surviving crew of the USS St. Lo, the first major warship to sink after Kamikaze attacks.
Breath of Life, a non-profit organization founded in 2001, is an adult day program designed for senior adults, like Earl Walter, who need a break from spending the whole day, everyday at home. "It just brings a lot of joy to a person's life," executive director, Bob Schricker said.
Schricker said after Earl and Norma's accident, Earl was on his own while Norma recovered. "Suddenly he had to cook and clean for himself," Schricker said, not an easy task for a man in his 80s.
Breath of Life volunteers Keith Stunek (left), Glady Theien and Riley Sloan sang with program participants Thursday afternoon. At 12 and 86, Sloan and Theien are the youngest and oldest Breath of Life volunteers.
Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
Norma Walter made a full recovery from her accident, spent time rehabilitating in Little Falls and eventually made her way home. Four years later, Earl and Norma now spend their days at Breath of Life together. The couple still owns their home in the Brainerd lakes area, but have become full-time residents of Woodland Good Samaritan Village where Breath of Life leases four rooms to operate its program.
Schricker said part of Breath of Life's mission is to provide dependent adults with a secure and compassionate environment that feels like home while allowing primary caregivers a time of respite. The program hopes to provide a place for dependent adults that is not only affordable, but convenient for both participants and their caregivers.
Participation in the program averages $73 for six hours of care five days a week and Schricker said a large portion of the services is covered by long-term health insurance, waiver programs or, like in Earl's case, veterans programs. Breath of Life provides transportation as needed.
Adults in the program come from all walks of life. Some live in their own homes, while others live in retirement or assisted living communities. Schricker said the program is geared for senior adults - the average age is 80. However, the program welcomes all dependent adults in need of care. Five of the 16 adults that attend on a regular basis have developmental needs.
Breath of Life operates under the direction of 11 well-trained employees and functions with the help dozens of volunteers from all different facets of life. The organization partners with Central Lakes College's occupational skills program and has college students who volunteer their time for class credit or job experience.
Woodland Village resident Glady Theien, 82, is not a college student, but she is Breath of Life's oldest volunteer. Theien makes her presence known for everyone who walks into the Breath of Life wing- she's often found playing the piano for the program's participants. "What's amazing about Glady is she doesn't even read music," Schricker said.
Volunteer Keith Stunek was at one-time a Breath of Life participant after he suffered a brain aneurysm that required rehabilitation. Following his recovery, Stunek went back as a volunteer.
Breath of Life's youngest volunteer, Riley Sloan, 12, has been part of the Breath of Life family for as long as he can remember. Sloan's mother works with CLC's occupational skills program that partners with Breath of Life. "We have lots of pictures from over the years that have Riley in them," Schricker said, "One year he came as an elf to the Christmas party."
Sloan, who starts seventh grade next week, spent every Tuesday and Thursday of the summer volunteering at Breath of Life reading to seniors, playing cards and sharing Bible studies.
Sloan, who said he loves English and hopes to one day be a journalist, is looking forward to starting school this fall, but will miss volunteering. He said he would like to spend his holiday breaks volunteering at Breath of Life. When asked if he plans to volunteer next summer, Sloan said, "Oh, yeah. Definitely."
SARAH NELSON may be reached at sarah.nelson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5879.