Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa volunteer finds rhythm with Alzheimer's patients

There are so many locals in Sonoma County that help make this a special place to live. The Press Democrat is highlighting some of these non-profit volunteers in our special Thanksgiving section this year.

To read about all of them go to www.pressdemocrat.com/specialsections/celebrations.

Terry Silva loves to dance. Absolutely loves it.

And as a volunteer with Catholic Charities in its Alzheimer's Respite Program, she gets to do a lot of it.

It's one of the things that Catholic Charities clients like to do, she said, and so usually there's music, sometimes twice a day.

Ruth, a woman she formed a special bond with, used to be a dance instructor, and the two would dance a lot. It's hard not to form special relationships with the people she works with, 'especially the ones who are here awhile,' said Silva, 84.

Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa serves 20,000 people every year, said Deborah Walton, communications manager for the nonprofit organization. And of their 400 Alzheimer's Respite caregivers, Silva is one of the most dedicated, Walton said.

'She inspires others with her joy,' she said.

And, listening to Silva talk, it's easy to see why.

'This is my love,' Silva said. 'We just have so much fun here, and some of my friends cannot understand that. But we do! We have so much fun, and we just carry on.'

The Alzheimer's Respite Program exists to offer a place for people with Alzheimer's disease to go during the day, giving their otherwise full-time caregivers a break. Catholic Charities clients can listen and dance to music, like Silva's friend Ruth, or participate in other activities.

Alzheimer's remains the sixth leading cause of death in America, and the fifth in California, killing more than 84,000 people every year, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Sonoma County, about 9,000 seniors have Alzheimer's, according to Catholic Charities' website, and the nonprofit organization provides the only car services available during the day, where people may attend whether they're able to pay or not.

Silva has worked in the program for more than 20 years. Up until her husband, Bob, fell sick with Alzheimer's himself, the two would volunteer together.

And even after he got sick, they'd be there together. Bob would attend the respite program three days a week, while Silva volunteered as usual.

'He loved it here,' Silva said. 'And he knew all the staff. It wasn't a problem; the transition wasn't difficult for him.'

Bob died a little over two years ago, but Silva keeps coming back.

'It just feels like it was my mission in life to come here,' she said.