ASEB’s CEO Micheal Pope traveled to Cuba for the New Year for an international exchange of ideas on the topic of senior care. Her trip was in partnership with the Concord United Methodist Church, where Micheal serves as Lay Leader.
While there, Micheal visited a nursing home in Havana. Along with learning and teaching with Cuban colleagues, she was able to find time to share in moments that taught her about more than just elders and memory care.
Upon her return, Micheal shared her enthusiasm for the culture, in which she found that there was not so much of a separation of persons with dementia from the rest of the community.
Elders were respected and celebrated for the wisdom and experience that they continue to impart. This closely aligns with ASEB’s own philosophy that aims to allow persons with memory loss to remain in the community for as long as possible, a relationship that benefits all of the family!
This inclusiveness was not limited to family, however, as Micheal expressed that she felt that same sense of welcoming throughout the visit, an experience that she said was both refreshing and inspiring.
Just as at ASEB, Micheal found that music plays a huge role in the participants’ lives, serving a therapeutic and entertaining purpose that is a key to sustaining our joy.