Tapping Tilly....Singing Norma

Have you ever had a meal at a Dementia unit?

Well, the last few weeks we would visit granny often at the home.
Some times we would pay $5 and have lunch with her.

I'm going to tell you, the home has great food. None of that mixed up stuff that Jack Lalane? sells his machine for.

Today we had Salmon and Chicken frick and see for lunch.

We were half way through our meal when we heard a fork tapping a plate over and over again.

We looked and there was Tilly tapping her plate. A plain serious stare, at the fork. Then she suddenly stopped.

She kept repeating this action.

Then I noticed what she was doing. She would take a bite of food with the fork and notice a piece, a very tiny piece of food, on the fork.

Rather than just continue, she would start her tapping. She would keep tapping until the food fell off or she hit the plate 50 times. Ok, I'm guessing about the number, but after so many taps, she would slowly raise the fork to her mouth and lick it clean.

At just that second, she would burst out with a large smile on her face. A clean fork!

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Singing Norma

Another woman, small in stature, a tiny face and short gray hair,,,most have short gray hair,, sits so stiff/stoic at the lunch table.

She just sits and is always the last to finish. Sometimes she would tap her fingers on the table with no apparent purpose.

Last Friday at the Home, a Piano Man was to appear at 3pm and give a little Jazz concert.

It was 3;10 and everyone was sitting, waiting and getting nervous.

Howard, a employee asked if anyone could entertain and they pointed to a red headed woman who mos-sied to the grand piano.

Howard started looking for another woman, Norma. Where's Norma?

Just then the red head started playing. She played for about 10 minutes and played the same song.

Suddenly Howard's face lit up and that little stoic woman walked guided from the Dementia unit and they shuffled her to the piano. Pushed the red haired lady out of the way and let NORMA start playing.

Oh My Gosh....did she play....lively music. And then sang along to all the songs. Not missing a piano key or work.

Shortly thereafter, Mr Piano Man showed up and was swept back by Norma. I thought he was going to back out.

But Howard hesitantly thanked Norma and let the Piano Man play.

Norma didn't get upset but continued to entertain us all by singing and dancing. One of the dances sure looked like she was going to do a strip,,,,,but she didn't.....thank you lord.

It turns out that Norma was a concert pianist, hardly talks but when she gets going she entertains.

Good Food and Live Entertainment....Granny sure has it good.