JFS Richmond and Beth Sholom Senior Living proudly celebrates Christine Hanger as a graduate of the CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders) program.
Hanger joined the program, which lasted four months, to build independence at home and focus on organization of living spaces and her personal calendar. Throughout the program, she worked to identify and make meaningful changes to her home and daily routine.
“One of my favorite things about the program was the company,” she said. “I enjoyed the visits from all these people. They’re well suited to what they do. I’m not making that up. It’s nice to have company.”
She explained that the collaborative nature of CAPABLE helped her see things in a new way.
“I looked at the pantry, it drove me nuts and it gets frustrating,” she said. “But when you’ve got other minds putting that kind of thing together, it makes it easier. Most importantly, if we tried something and it wasn’t a real good solution, we did something different. Everybody was flexible. It was like there was no sense of failure.”
Hanger shared that what she gained most from the experience was a mindset of problem-solving and adaptability.
“The biggest takeaway from this program would be figuring out solutions to stuff rather than just moan,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be this way, you can change it.”
At the end of the program, Hanger celebrated her accomplishment in style with a graduation cap and a sparkling cider toast. From the very beginning, she had set a personal goal: to earn “gold stars” once she completed the program.
When she graduated, those gold stars proudly found their place on her new whiteboard, which was one of several strategic purchases made possible by the CAPABLE program from JFS, along with a stool and shelves to organize her art supplies.
“As a senior, it can be easy to become discouraged when tasks are difficult,” she said. “The easiest options are to give up or don’t try at all. My experience with CAPABLE has trained me to rethink my options and find a workable solution.”
For Belinda Hensley, JFS Director of Nursing and Hanger’s Home Care nurse, the program was just as rewarding.
“She’s a joy, which I knew, of course, going in because I’ve been working with her two or three years,” Hensley said. “I knew she’d be up for the program, and she’s always willing to do what’s best for her. It’s been great. I’ve loved it.”
CAPABLE is open to Richmond-area residents age 60 and older who face challenges with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, cooking or walking. To learn more or make a referral, email capable@jfsrichmond.org or call 804-282-5644.
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