Avamere at Mountain Ridge Memory Care Assisted Living

Eighty-three year-old Iola Wagner felt a mixture of both excitement and nerves as she entered the auditorium of the Elizabeth Stewart Treehouse Museum in Ogden, Utah.This was a moment shed spent weeks preparing for, and a day shed long been awaiting.When it finally came time for her to take the stage, Iola sat down, took a deep breath and began reading aloud.This wasn't the first time Iola had taken this stage. In fact, shed been here plenty of times before. After a 31-year career teaching in Utah's Weber County School District, Iola spent another 15 years reading stories to children, conducting tours, and even playing the part of many favorite childhood literary characters such as Mother Goose, Old Mother Hubbard and Miss Marple at the Treehouse Museum as a volunteer. It wasn't until Lola's' deteriorating vision became a challenge that she eventually gave up reading aloud at the Treehouse Museum.Knowing just how much reading at the Treehouse Museum meant to Iola, her senior living community, Mountain Ridge Assisted Living, stepped in. Through the community's innovative Vibrant Life activity program, Mountain Ridge granted Lola's wish, arranging for her to read to children at the Treehouse Museum once more. Known as Livin the Dream, this incredible component of the Vibrant Life program is designed to help residents at Integral Senior Living-managed communities like Mountain Ridge turn their dreams into reality whether its an old passion or a newfound curiosity.So when Iola recently returned to the Treehouse Museum stage, it wasn't long after she began reading that she noticed her nerves had subsided and shed reached the end of Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? To her amusement, the audience wanted an encore and Iola provided, reading Green Eggs and Ham to the auditorium of children, friends, family, fellow residents and others in the Ogden community who had gathered to hear her read.When asked about her Livin the Dream, Iola described the experience as an absolute delight! It was like going home, she said.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Erika Anderson. Erika is the director of Sales and Marketing at Mountain Ridge Assisted Living, and may be reached at 801-791-7654.