• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Memories lost, memories found

Photo

Photo by Terry Mayer

Loretta Czaplewski, left, and her daughter, Pat Marquardt, enjoy a light moment during a session of Memories in the Making at Geneva Crossing in Lake Geneva. The classes are aimed at helping dementia patients like Czaplewski socialize and express themselves. Marquardt volunteers to help with the weekly class.

LAKE GENEVA — The initial transformation usually doesn’t occur suddenly, rather slowly eating away at the person’s body, and more importantly, at the person they were.

Loretta Czaplewski, 82, was diagnosed with dementia six years ago, and the debilitating disease has stolen a mother from Pat Marquardt and her sisters, turning a vibrant woman into a shell of herself.

(Read all of this week's stories from Walworth County Sunday HERE. )

Today, Czaplewski is a resident at Geneva Crossing Senior Community campus, specifically in the memory care unit of its Village Glen.

Marquardt said the facility has been a godsend for their family, because they know their mother is in good hands, especially after their father died two years ago.

“We originally admitted her in Geneva Crossing when my dad went into the hospital and while he was doing rehab, but when he passed away, we knew right then that there was no going back home for her,” Marquardt said. “I can’t say enough about the facility. They’re available whenever you need help. They are kind, compassionate people.”

And that’s a big reason why Marquardt gives back. She and her family have participated in and supported the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Wisconsin for several years. One way is through the upcoming fundraising Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 15, at Lake Geneva’s Library Park.

Another way is being a volunteer through a new program called Memories in the Making, which kicked off in spring at Geneva Crossing. The program, which meets Thursday afternoons, offers individuals with Alzheimer’s/dementia opportunities to express themselves creatively through art.

“Each patient is given paper and watercolor paints, brushes or colored pencils. The idea isn’t for us to teach them anything,” said Marquardt, who attended training in order to help with the class. “It’s about them getting interested and inspired by what they’re doing. It’s more about the socializing and expressing themselves.

For the complete story, see HERE.

At a glance

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

-- When: Sept. 15; registration starts at 8:30 a.m., walk starts at 10 a.m. (three- or one-mile routes)

-- Where: Library Park, 1200 W. Main St., Lake Geneva

-- More information: Call Christina Taddy at (414) 479-8800, send an email to christina.taddy@alz.org or go online to www.alz.org/sewi.