Jean Cohen is feeling really good these days. While she has long loved her beautiful Coleman House apartment, it is looking particularly warm and inviting right now. Jean was recently hospitalized for a heart condition. She has only recently returned from four months in the hospital and rehab.[nbsp] These were tough months. It wasn’t clear that Jean would return to Coleman.

But Jean has remarkable determination. She wanted to return to all that she loves at Coleman – her friends, activities and the mementos in her apartment from 68 years with her beloved husband. [nbsp]In rehab, she wasn’t eating well and she was not recovering. Her daughter Sharon, along with Coleman’s Resident Services Coordinator Elizabeth Reiss, knew she needed to come home so that her real recovery could begin.

And it has. “The change in Jean’s appearance and ability in just three weeks is unbelievable,” remarked Elizabeth. “She needed a wheel chair when she first returned. These days, she’s walking and even going to the fitness center for exercise.”

Much of her recovery is due to Catherine, the lovely home health aide who Elizabeth was able to get on board. Catherine is very attentive. She knows how to offer Jean the encouragement and comfort she needs. [nbsp]Jean sits radiantly in her living room, surrounded by pillows and cherished family photos. “This is where I belong,” she says. “This is where I am suppose to be.”

Ask Jean what is helping her regain her spirit and she quickly responds.[nbsp] “It’s the people here. I am a people person and here I can see my friends.” Her close friend Bea recently stopped in to deliver a pot of homemade chicken soup.

Jean recognizes that her heart condition is not going to improve. It would require a valve but as she turned 90 in April, Jean is not a candidate for the procedure. But that does not deter her from moving forward. Jean’s immediate goals are clear: participating in chair yoga, volunteering at the front desk and baking mandel bread. “I’m known for my mandel bread,” she says with a smile. “My neighbors are looking forward to it!”

 created at: 2012-01-23

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