Oakwood Creative Care Inc

Oakwood Creative Care is a grass roots, nonprofit organization with a mission to enhance the quality of life and spark joy for older adults with cognitive or physical challenges.

Oakwood Creative Care enhances the mind, body, and spirit of older adults with cognitive and physical challenges as well as their family care partner. OCC's 3 day clubs throughout the east valley serve over 300 individuals and caregivers from the greater Phoenix communities including: Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Chandler, Gilbert, Sunlakes, Apache Junction, and San Tan Valley. Currently, over 70% of OCC club members have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia and average 75 years of age. OCC Clubs offers a new paradigm of thinking for home and community-based services. OCC honors personhood, enhances self-esteem, aims to decrease anxiety and depression and ignite purpose through expressive art workshops, fitness classes, history lessons, storytelling, music, dance, and community. OCC's newly opened Dementia HUB in Mesa extends care partner support services and community outreach through it's Memory Cafe, Home Simulation Lab, and Workforce Training Room. Because of OCC programs, wellness oversight, nutrition counseling, support groups, and education; levels of self-sufficiency increase and family members are empowered to keep their loved one at home instead of moving loved ones into an institutionalized setting with minimal support, information, training, or hope.

Testimonials

Outcomes show 61% of OCC members maintained cognitive function in the first 6 months of attendance, and 57% of members maintained their cognitive function for a year after. 62% of club members scored 0-4 on the geriatric depression survey; indicating minimal depression. In our annual satisfaction survey 96% of family caregivers reported a reduction in stress and 100% reported that their loved one's quality of life stabilized.

Research states that art stimulates visual communication. A member recently stated, "Oakwood Creative Care provides a place to go, friends to hang out with, a gives me a voice through my artwork." Other members have stated, "art makes me feel better" and "art makes me feel young again."

"I've witnessed a new wave of positivity in my mom's spirits, as each day she excitedly asks, 'When do I get to go back to the Club?'"

"Oakwood is the place to be! I find happiness here."