Recently, two leaders at Brookdale Senior Living scaled Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. The purpose was to raise awareness of caregivers’ tireless work.
Carol Cummings, manager of Optimum Life wellness programs, and Sara Terry, vice president of Optimum Life for Brookdale, climbed the 6,288-foot mountain in New Hampshire along with about 50 others in late July.
It was not an easy trip.
“At the same time it was just really fun,” Cummings told McKnight’s. “It was mentally challenging. You had to figure out what you were doing.”
Climbing the mountain was really more like hiking, she said. But it was rigorous. The path was rocky and, all of a sudden, became steep, she explained.
“It’s not rock climbing in the sense you’re using ropes, but is in every other sense,” she said.
At one moment, she recalled meeting someone three hours into the hike who was descending from the summit. He told the group they were three hours away—longer than they had anticipated.
During the climb, which took about six hours, Cummings recalls that the group had to help one of the participants who felt weak and fatigued. It struck Cummings that the experience of ascending a mountain is a metaphor for caregiving.
“It’s a long journey and it’s a tough journey and there are times when you all have to lean on and help each other through it,” she said.
“Just the fact that we had to care for this gal strengthened the metaphor, for this is what you have to do—reach out and have help from other folks, even if you’re a professional caregiver.”
Organizers of the climb were Army for Change, a project to help raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s disease. The team is on a goal to tackle 10 mountains in 10 years in a quest for a cure. They started with Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the European Alps. They aim to reach the peak of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, in 2015.
Among the climbers was TV personality Leeza Gibbons, who founded Leeza’s Place, which offers free programs and supportive services to educate, empower and energize caregivers who are dealing with chronic and progressive illness. Some people also were climbing to honor caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s.
Cummings and Terry were unique in that they were climbing on behalf of professional caregivers. They carried a flag with the pictures and names of about 70 Brookdale caregivers. Brookdale is an owner and operator of 564 senior living communities in the United States.
Professional caregivers, like informal ones, have to make hard decisions and often experience burnout, Cummings said.
“Sometimes, it seems like it’s too much,” she said.
The climb, which Cummings trained for, for three weeks in advance (she increased her aerobic activity and worked on strength training), was a powerful experience, she said.
“It was absolutely inspiring,” she said. “It was one of those life-changing things you do.”
