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WALK WITH ME The Cordwainer's team takes pride in helping residents live their days with dreams and adventure. A group of active residents expressed their desire to go swimming, so the team partnered with a local YMCA to create a special swim class. The "senior athletes" were thrilled to put on their swimsuits and get into the water. Upon their return, one swimmer could be heard telling other residents, "You have no idea how good of a time we had!" These moments represent The Cordwainer's core belief: that people with memory loss still have desires, dreams and the capacity to experience new joys. THE LEARNED ENVIRONMENT SM At The Cordwainer, residents experience specialty programming called 'The Learned Environment SM .' This philosophy embodies three main pillars: music for the mind, art for the soul, and foreign language exploration. These programs focus on learning in the moment, meeting people where they are and reopening their world in ways that weren't possible at home. Residents learn about music then practice techniques, explore artistic media then create, and they learn greetings, numbers or colors in new languages while discovering different cultures. "This approach has produced results that some might call impossible," explains Tamilyn. "We've witnessed residents who arrived non-verbal begin communicating again—not just sounds but expressing their wishes to family and staff." One resident who previously needed feeding assistance, picked up a fork to eat independently. Other residents who had isolated themselves transformed into social butterflies. Genuine friendships are formed through The Cordwainer's approach to growth and socialization—exactly what The Learned Environment SM is designed to support. WHAT HAPPENS BEYOND THE OUTCOMES "A husband shared with us that our music programming allows him to connect with his wife again—something he thought was lost forever due to the disease," says Bodo. The team recently helped this couple celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on a beautiful local beach, creating moments of togetherness that seemed impossible months earlier. These stories continue to multiply with the hands-on participation of families who visit daily to enjoy life alongside their loved ones in this vibrant community. THIS IS WHAT'S POSSIBLE "For months leading up to the holidays, residents worked alongside our Music Specialist to prepare something extraordinary—a full holiday concert 9 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com