Seniors with Alzheimer's find laughter at batting cage

RIVER FALLS, Wis. (FOX 9) - At a senior living community in River Falls, happiness and laughter are always in the air. Residents look forward to a trip to a local batting cage as a way to connect with themselves and others.

Finding joy and laughter in every day

What we know:

Kathy Collins is known for her joyful spirit and laughter, often singing and sharing smiles with fellow residents at Our House Senior Living Memory Care.

"Yeah, I'm a laugher," said Kathy Collins.

Even if you cannot see Kathy, her voice and laughter fill the space.

"Big mouth, you know," she said with a smile.

Some days, Kathy—who used to be a band director—can be found humming and singing at D-Bat, a batting cage in River Falls.

"It's beautiful... sun in the morning," Kathy said, breaking into song.

D-Bat is a short drive from the senior living home, which makes it an easy trip for residents and staff. A handful of residents typically hop in the car to head to the batting cage. One by one, they all take turns swinging the bats.

"Oh, I broke it," resident Ken Wood said after swinging.

Eighteen residents live in Our House right now. The director of the facility says they’re able to come and go as they please with their families, but it’s nice to have the option to explore other areas with their neighboring residents.

All the residents are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

"They start to want to wander outside, and they're up in the night. It really takes a toll on that one caregiver," Senior Living Director Elli Anfinson said. "So, we try to be there so that they can be the family, and we can be the caregivers. I try to keep their life as normal as they can if I can bring them out with me."

Elli is described as the cheerleader for the group. She can relate to some of the residents' stories. She remembers the days she looked after her grandmother while she was a resident at the memory care facility.

"My grandma had dementia, and she lived there with me for four years and that really kind of made me want to stay."

Elli believes each trip to D-BAT gives residents a purpose filled with laughter, movement and music.

The residents say these outings keep their bodies moving and their minds active.

"I got Alzheimer's," Ken said as he paused. "That's kind of a bummer, and dementia."

Ken enjoys the outdoors. He remembers some of his favorite days out on the water with his fishing rod. Elli said Ken likes to help in any way he can around the facility, especially helping with any work outside.

These are special moments the residents and employees enjoy together.

"They'll stay with us until they pass," said Elli. "This disease, it is hard," she added.

Why you should care:

Activities like baseball outings help residents reconnect with happy memories and each other, even as they face the challenges of memory loss.

"Everybody has a baseball story," said Nate Kochendorfer, the owner of D-BAT. "You don't age out of it. You can participate no matter what age you are."

Nate decided to create a relaxed environment at D-BAT, saying he had been looking for ways to use the facility during the day. He talked with Elli and the two decided to make the residents' trips to D-BAT a frequent one.

While playing the game, sometimes the memories come back to them with a smile.

"I hit them pretty good," said resident Sonny Miner as he recalled his days coaching. "I played a lot of ball."

The residents say the group feels like a family, sharing honest moments and plenty of jokes.

"You like to boss people around?" reporter Symone Woolridge asked Kathy.

"Yup," Kathy said as she laughed. "That's my favorite thing to do."

"What do you like about coming here?"

"Well, I didn't know we were coming." Kathy said jokingly. "All of a sudden, I was pushed in a car. I got back from something, and they’re like — get in the car. We're going to... What?!"

Kathy said the sport isn’t about anything else but having a good time and moving her feet. It’s what keeps her coming back.

"I can't play ball. I didn't come here to do that. I just come here for the fun."

Supporting residents and families

Local perspective:

The staff at Our House Senior Living Memory Care work to support both residents and their families as memory loss progresses.

"The outings and activities are about more than just fun—they provide purpose and help residents feel less isolated," said Elli. "It gives them purpose. It makes them feel like they're not, you know, trapped. I hate to say that word too, but it's like that's what they can feel like. You know, they're cooped up, they are stuck in a place, they can't go out and do the things they want. They're getting older, their body isn't allowing them to do the thing that they want, and so they can come here and Nate adapts the equipment so that they can still have fun and be able to do some things that they used to do."

Wisconsin