Aegis Living presents music therapy Carnival style

700 Washington State Assisted Living Seniors Celebrate Life and Exercise Brain Fitness, Monday, May 4, 11:00a-2:00p at the Lynnwood Convention Center

A group of Brazilian Carnival party goers consisting of more than 700 senior citizens, their families and Aegis staff will converge on the Lynnwood Convention Center decked out in feathers and beads on Monday, May 4 from 11:00-2:00.

Aegis Living offers residents in assisted living and Alzheimer’s care, unique and fun ways to party and let loose while in a safe and caring environment specially tailored to meet their needs and comforts.

For the past month, each of the local 14 communities, including Shoreline Aegis on 1st Avenue NE across from Twin Ponds, has been creating masks and other costume items to wear to the event. They have been documenting this process for a slide show that will be presented to them at the party so they can all see each other having fun.

On Monday, they will arrive in a parade of decked out vans and be greeted with colorful Mardi Gras beads. Once inside, they will find special Brazilian mock tails (Caipirnha) waiting for them on brightly colored tables.  EntreMundos Quarteto, a Brazilian band, will be filling the air with samba music and servers will bring out a special Brazilian style lunch, created just for this event by the Lynnwood Convention Center - Brazilian spiced chicken, tomato-coconut milk coulis, mashed cassava and cilantro.

“A lot of times with seniors, people think they can't do things like anymore because they're frail or maybe they even have a cognitive impairment. We're trying to break that kind of thinking,” says Aegis Living CEO and Founder Dwayne Clark. He adds, “Music penetrates the crevasses of the brain and gets beyond the cognitive impairments a lot of people have.”

A large portion of their residents suffer from mild to severe cognitive impairment. 

“What we know is that music has the ability to reach our residents in all stages of dementia. Therefore our focus in Life Enrichment is to have a robust music program and this theme feeds right into this”, says Aegis Living Vice President of Life Enrichment Chris Corrigall. He adds, “Carnival is a foreign South American event and this provides us an opportunity to bring this part of the world and culture to our residents who don't have the opportunity to travel anymore.”

In the past, Aegis Living has put on other big events like this (USO, Woodstock, Hawaiian Luau, Jumpin’ Jive Lounge).

Here are some other numbers:

• 700 samba lesson for all 700 guests
• 600 resident handmade feathered and jeweled masks
• 100 wheelchairs
• 1600 Mardi Gras (party) beaded necklaces
• 200 Rhythm ribbon wands waving
• 10 feathered, beaded and bedazzled Afro-Brazilian Samba Dancers
• 5 Brazilian Capoeinistas, flipping and kicking.
• 1 large lit parade float with Samba Models
• 700 Brazilian “Mock tails”
• 700 mini umbrellas

Aegis Living is a national leader in retirement, assisted living and Alzheimer’s care providing the finest in senior lifestyle emphasizing health, quality of life, well-being and community

Corrected Corrigall's title 05-02-2015 8:24am