At 96, Marcus Woell received the gift he’s always wished for: tickets to see the Minnesota Orchestra. For his birthday, Marcus’s Lifespark Life Care Manager (LCM), a registered nurse, gave him a birthday card with a note for him to choose a symphony to attend. Marcus, a devoted classical music lover, sat stunned, staring at the note. Until that moment, he never thought seeing the Minnesota Orchestra perform live was possible.
Part of the whole person senior care approach is to dig deep, listen to the client, and help them focus on goals that are most meaningful to them. It took his LCM several in-depth conversations with Marcus about purpose and passion before she began to understand his deep passion for music, specifically classical music. Marcus has always wanted to attend a performance by the Minnesota Orchestra, but somehow ‘life always got in the way.’
With the help of Lifespark and the SilverCrest staff Marcus’s wish became reality when he accompanied his daughter Nora to “A Hero’s Life.” To make the day even more special, Lifespark worked with the Minnesota Orchestra for Marcus to go backstage to meet Osmo Vänskä, the Minnesota Orchestra’s conductor /music director and to give him a CD of the performance to take home. “He was overwhelmed at first,” said Nora, his daughter. “He just sat there and took it all in.” Even after the performance, Marcus could not seem to get enough of the music. Back at Brightondale, he began playing a CD of the performance he had received at Orchestra Hall. As he told his LCM, “You bring me life.”
