Special to The Dorchester Banner/Chesapeake Woods
Pictured at last year’s Homestead Senior Prom are Leila Robbins and Harry “Sonny” Heckler. They are all decked out in their prom finery. This year’s prom will be held June 3 at Chesapeake Woods.[/caption] CAMBRIDGE — Happy Spring from the Homestead (Alzheimer’s/Dementia Specialty Care) Unit at Genesis Healthcare: Chesapeake Woods Center! We have a best kept secret to spread to our community. For the past four years we have held a fantastic event at our Center in the Spring  known as “The Homestead Senior Prom.” “A Walk in the Garden” is the theme chosen for this year’s event which is scheduled for June 3 at 2 p.m. The staff and the family members of the residents go to great lengths to make sure all 39 of the residents have formal attire from bow ties and suits to glamorous gowns. For this event, residents receive all of the finishing touches including having their nails, make-up, and hair done and they are adorned with accessories of choice including corsages. There will be a group performing for for the second year in a row by the name of “Peter’s Voice.” This group of gentleman entertain residents in nursing centers, senior centers, and churches with their vocal and instrumental talents. Tammie’s Floral Fantasy will be donating time and talent by assisting with decorating the Unit and Tent and providing all the residents with their wrist corsages and boutonnieres. Members of the community are invited to join in the celebration. The goal is to create a meaningful moment for our residents and a lasting memory for the residents’ loved ones. Special moments are created when we are able to forget, if just for a second, that the dementia exists because glimpses of the real person that is hidden beneath the disease process comes shining through. Whether it be a spoken word, a facial expression, a tap of a foot, or the touch of a hand, our residents show us they are still there and they yearn to find meaning amidst the confusion. If you are a child, spouse, or caregiver of a loved one who lives with dementia, we encourage you to savor the moments of clarity and the joy that they bring.