In Charge of Love

Article submitted by Michelle Freund, Director of Marketing & Admissions with Westwood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. For more information, contact: 412-243-7800; E-mail: mfreund@westwoodnh.com

Dr. Robert Butler may have coined the phrase "reminiscence therapy" and advanced study of the subject, but for Alice Slagle, 66-year-old Director of Social Services at Westwood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Wilkinsburg, it's been a daily practice for nearly 14 years.

"Alice is a walking history book," explains Michelle, Director of Marketing and Admissions. "She does a social history on every resident that comes through the doors. If a resident was a great dancer, saxophone player, restaurant owner, or played for the Homestead Grays, our doctors, employees and other residents find out from Alice."

Slagle likes to point out that sharing memories helps maintain an individual's sense of dignity and identity. She credits her family with teaching her the value of reminiscing long before she received her master's degree in social work. "I was 50 years old when I earned my bachelor's degree, she says. She adds she has so much in common with the residents that "we would laugh and remember things from the past: angel hair on the tree; wringer washing machines; air raids during World War II; and how one family member would have to get up and fire the furnace in the morning."

Reminiscing is just one aspect of Slagle's efforts to ensure that residents continue living meaningful lives and receive plenty of positive attention. "You can have every "t" crossed and every "I" dotted, but without the love component and unless every resident feels special, you have not done your job," she explains.

In fact, she considers "the love component" part of her job description. Over the years, she has taken charge of purchasing funeral clothes, cooking in the kitchen and accompanying residents on a boat ride. I try to make dreams come true, or at least little wishes," she says.

"Alice is really a perfect fit for Westwood. "Many of our residents come from Wilkinsburg and many are African-American - they're accustomed to a strong sense of family and community. Alice's approach is what we all strive for - we care for residents as if they were part of our own family."

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