BRC is blessed with several wonderful Activity Coordinators who love their job and the residents and our residents love them back.

Suzi Fischer, is the Activities Coordinator for our Enhanced Living neighborhood on Oakview 4, anyone who meets Suzi will tell you she has a very warm, engaging personality and does a wonderful job. When asked what she loves best about her job, Suzi’s smile widens and her face lights up, “I love the residents, they are so much fun and we have such a good time!” 

Suzi really enjoys doing activities that involve music and art because the residents love it and it fits so well with her background as her degree is in Visual Communication which involves art, graphic design and more. Suzi has had a lifelong love of music and has worked in several locations as a church musician including St John’s Lutheran Church and the Presbyterian Church in Greenville. She gives private music lessons in piano and voice and plays several instruments: piano, guitar, ukulele, saxophone, drums, and more, and she has a collection of musical instruments!

Suzi said after a lifetime of being a church musician, she wanted to do something different, something fun and fulfilling with the older generation. After a year of driving to Centerville to work in activities, she was called to be an Activities Coordinator at Brethren Retirement Community. It was the perfect fit for her. 

Suzi is quick to say the residents are her family since her children are in Dayton, Columbus, and Colorado and working with older adults helps her fill the void of missing her parents who were also musical. With a huge smile on her face and a lot of enthusiasm, Suzi said, “I love working here, I come hopping in, ready to start my day and look forward to being with the residents, how could I not love it here when the residents tell me they are glad to see me and they were hoping I was going to be with them!”

Born in Wisconsin, north of Milwaukee, Suzi raised her three children in Centerville, Ohio for 16 years. After her children were grown she moved to an island, Key Biscayne, Florida to be the Music and Media Director at the Community Church and returned to Ohio to be closer to her children in the area. In 2018 she moved to Greenville and has been with Brethren Retirement Community since 2020, starting her job during the pandemic.

On a typical Tuesday evening, Suzi can be found outside our Library singing children’s folk songs with the residents before she goes to the Chapel to play the baby grand piano where she plays the full gamut of songs. Suzi recalled a recent Tuesday evening outside the Library, singing Old McDonald with the residents, and each resident had a different animal sound to contribute, she said it was a wonderful evening with a lot of singing and a lot of laughter! 

Currently, in our Enhanced Living neighborhood, she has several residents who play the piano and sing. One in particular who can even lead singing so Suzi can harmonize!

Even though the residents in enhanced living have had their lives impacted by dementia, their lives still have meaning, beauty, purpose, and fun. Familiar words and songs bring back comforting, long-term memories. Even those who can no longer talk much or carry on a conversation respond so profoundly to old-time songs, hymns, a loving touch, eye contact, and conversation and the joy she brings them enhances Suzi’s joy and fulfillment.

Suzi said the residents also love art and they do watercolors and make practically all the decorations hanging up in the neighborhood. She always selects projects everyone can do and said they often amaze themselves with their talent! 

She does a lot of different activities, so they have a wide variety of experiences. They enjoy starting their day with the morning chronicle and enjoy looking up different subjects on YouTube videos! We even have a favorite card game that anyone seems to be able to play and enjoy. A large group of enhanced living residents will often attend the full-house activities that are held on Fridays by the activities team.

She also does Pet Therapy with Delilah, a very personable small dog who belongs to our Director of Clinical Services, Jami Keen. Suzi and Delilah make their rounds around the neighborhood visiting the residents and sometimes a resident or two will take Delilah for a walk in the neighborhood. 

It’s obvious that Suzi cares deeply about the residents, making their lives as full and rich as possible. Thank you, Suzi!