Sally Burns celebrated a birthday recently. She had a nice party, ate some cake and opened 30 birthday cards.
She’s an expert at birthdays. She’s had 105 of them.
The year she was born, in 1920, was the first year women could vote. Babe Ruth was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees. America’s top-selling car was the Model T Ford. And Prohibition was just getting started.
Sally has kids. A son and a daughter. They are 74 and 75 years old. Her first job was working as a receptionist in 1938 for Franklin Roosevelt’s housing department. She’s traveled the world and seen a lot. What’s the secret to living to 105?
“Eat oatmeal and drink white wine every day,” she said smiling. “But they won’t let me have wine here.”
“Here” is Live Oak Adult Day Services in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood. Despite the rules against white wine, Sally said she loves to visit at least twice a week. The nonprofit center is a gathering place for senior citizens, many of whom are frail or have mild dementia, Parkinson’s Disease or other challenges, to meet new friends and stay active.
The center, which serves roughly 100 people ages 60 to 105 at four locations in Santa Clara County, operates five days a week, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering a wide range of activities, including dancing, art projects, breakfast and lunch, current events updates, games, visits from schoolchildren and other pursuits.
“It’s a community. They look out for each other,” said Izumi Yaskawa, Live Oak’s executive director. “At home, often their world is getting smaller. This is like a second family.”
The center, which charges $29 to $104 a day based on a person’s ability to pay, also offers sons, daughters, spouses and other caregivers the opportunity to take a break.
Astrid Arretz knows the value firsthand. The San Jose resident takes her father, Al Arretz, a 93-year-old retired nuclear engineer who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, to Live Oak two or three times a week. He loves the food, the companionship and the music, she said, particularly when people come in and play the piano.
“I love being with my dad,” she said. “He’s fun. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy. But it’s a lot of work to get him up in the morning every day, to help him shower, dress him, pay the bills, provide meals, everything. I’m his main caretaker. It’s a lot. You need time during the week to rest your mind and to go to the store and get other things done. I’ll say, ‘Do you want to go to the club today to have lunch?’ He always says yes. I know he’s in a safe place, and I can rest during those hours. It’s been a blessing.”
Live Oak opened in Los Gatos in 1983 as a program of the First United Methodist Church of Los Gatos. At first, there were only eight people, going twice a week.
Over the years, it grew, became an independent nonprofit and branched out to Gilroy, San Jose and Cupertino. The Willow Glen facility is in a restored 1913 home designed by Frank Delos Wolfe, an associate of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Live Oak doesn’t take drop-ins. Families are asked to contact the organization first to make an appointment so there are enough meals and staff to accommodate everyone, Yaskawa said.
Many of the participants have mild to mid-level dementia. They can be forgetful, need help with daily activities like cooking meals or choosing clothes, and often move with canes or the help of wheelchairs. But they also recognize family members and the center staff. They talk to each other and enjoy the community.
On a recent visit, staff members led stretching exercises with a dozen men and women seated in chairs.
“OK, put your right arm behind your back like this,” said Shannel Rodriguez, a program specialist. “Do a nice stretch for 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 … and shake it off. Now switch hands. Good! Now we’re nice and loose to do art!”
Out came big sheets of white paper.
“We’re going to make trees today,” said Berenice Aguilar, assistant program director. “Put your hand on the paper. Trace around your fingers. Those are going to be the branches. Then we’re going to glue leaves on by tearing up this red, orange and brown paper.”
She turned on a CD player, and the Beach Boys “Little Deuce Coupe” filled the room. Under the table, half the people tapped their toes. At one point, one elderly man got up to dance. A woman rose to join him, as the rest grinned from ear to ear.
One new feature is a 4-foot robot. The Stanford Robotics Center brings the yellow social robot, named Miroki, in for social visits. It plays music, speaks 99 languages and leads games. Live Oak is asking Wish Book readers to contribute $20,000 to bring the robot around more frequently and expand its software to help the seniors engage even more. On this day, trivia was the choice.
“What movie had the line ‘There’s no place like home’?” the robot asked the group.
“Wizard of Oz!” one man offered.
“Great,” it said. “How about ‘Go ahead, make my day.’”
There was a pause.
“Clint Eastwood!” another man said.
“Very close,” the robot replied. “The actor is Clint Eastwood. The movie is ‘Dirty Harry.’”
“One more. How about ‘I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse’?”
“The Godfather!” multiple people said.
“Right!” the robot said, lighting up.
Off to the side, James Duran, 65, said he worked for years at Mineta San Jose International Airport refueling airplanes. But a brain aneurysm limited his speech and left him walking with a cane.
“If I wasn’t here, I would be at home watching TV,” he said. “But this is better. I have friends here.”
Duran said he enjoys games at the center, particularly bingo, and said the food is great. His favorite is menudo. Despite the challenges he’s faced, he’s thankful.
“I won’t ever work again,” he said. “But I’m happy to be alive.”
Families and staff members at Live Oak said that when elderly people become frail or are diagnosed with dementia, the length of time they are able to remain living at home often depends on how active and involved they can be.
Even at 105, Sally lives with her family in San Jose. She goes to church and meets new people every week. Live Oak is among the highlights of her week, she said.
“It’s very well-organized,” she said. “Beautiful people help us all the time. Everyone is so clever. I put the pictures we paint on my refrigerator at home, and I send them to my son to put on his refrigerator. We have dancers come. We have a musical day on Mondays. The people who work here pay close attention to all of our needs.”
She said she intends to keep coming for a long time.
“I hope I make it to 110,” Sally said. “God put me here to be friendly and to help people.”
ABOUT WISH BOOK
Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
WISH
Live Oak Adult Day Services is seeking donations to help pay for the use of the robot more frequently and to expand its software, providing up to 100 seniors with mild to moderate dementia a unique social opportunity. Goal: $20,000.
HOW TO GIVE
Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com/donate or mail in this form.
ONLINE EXTRA
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