My name is Elaine Perez, my mother is Stella Trujillo. One of our favorite memory we share was when we went to a party and this elderly lady was dancing and having a great time. My mom Stella said “if she can do that then so can I” she then got up took off her oxygen hose and started shaking her shoulders and dancing. It was hilarious. I must say we had never seen her dance before but will always cherish the memory.

One of the hardest challenges for us both was the day I had to move my mother in with me. To her that meant taking away her independence and her life as she knew it. It was a challenge for us to get her adjusted to her new environment. So, to help her through it I set up her bedroom to look exactly like her apartment which made a huge difference and a lot easier for my mom.

The love that I have for my mother grows every day. I’m grateful that I still have a chance to do things with her and still show her how much I love and appreciate everything she has done for me and now I’m able to do and care for her unconditionally. One of her favorite saying is “the old grey mare ain’t what she used to be”. Words our family will cherish forever.

I would like to say that I deeply appreciate the Senior Hub Center and that bring my mom joy, and new experiences for a wonderful opportunity to socialize and make new friends that give her many happy moments that I could not give or do for her alone. The exercising, games, and art activities help her so much with her dementia. I am very thankful to have a great team on my side to help make this stage in my mothers’ life more meaningful and exciting for her. My goal is to keep her smiling for the rest of her days here on this earth. Thanks for all you guys do.