#Joanne Cheong

[genevieveetguy]

Wet Season, Anthony Chen (2019)

[therababycare]

TheraBaby® at Four Seasons Health Expo 2017

TheraBaby® was a proud exhibitor at the Four Seasons of Health Expo on May 12, 2017. It was an annual event hosted by the City of Fremont Human Services Department in California and the Tri-City Elder Coalition at the Fremont Senior Center in Central Park next to the beautiful Lake Elizabeth. With 100+ exhibitors, the Expo was attended by an estimate of over 2,000+ visitors—ready and eager to learn more about health and wellness, social participation, volunteering and civic engagement, community information, employment and learning opportunities, and dementia-specific support. TheraBaby was chosen in light of our focus on using lifelike dolls to “help improve the quality of life for seniors with dementia.” Under the leadership of Joseph Choi, P.E., we have touched many dementia patients in senior living and adult daycare centers in California, Hawaii and Montana in the last four years. At our booth, visitors were treated to information about the genesis of the program (which was launched in September, 2012 in memory of Joseph’s mother, Siu-Ying CHEONG, who died from complications from dementia and renal failure), case studies, testimonials, photo books, articles in English and Chinese. On hand to greet our inquisitive visitors were five second generation TheraBaby dolls and the Grand-TheraBaby doll, Connor, along with Joseph Choi (Founder), Patricia Choi (Co-Founder), Donna Yap (Program Manager), and JoAnn Yee, an enthusiastic supporter all the way from Hawaii to be with us for this Expo. We fielded questions from concerned family members about their loved ones with dementia, doctors with expertise in dementia care and Autism, leaders of senior care and in-home care centers, volunteers wanting to get involved, invitations to speak at different senior care venues. We were most honored to have Ms. Lily Mei, Mayor of the City of Fremont, visited with us at the booth. She asked some penetrating questions about what we do and how we have been able to make a difference. As you can see from the photo journal, our visitors were having fun making friends and posing with the TheraBaby dolls. More importantly, it was our fondest hope that they walked away with some firsthand information about doll therapy as a potentially viable non-pharmacological solution for seniors with dementia.