Garcia never was able to hire anyone, so little by little she moved her mother in with her. Now Torres has a comfy nook in her daughter's kitchen, where she paints pasta noodles, colors and cuts out paper figures for Garcia's classes, bakes cookies and biscuits, and tends to her birds and plants. Torres, who has a quiet, proper manner, is meticulous about her appearance, which Garcia maintains with daily devotion. The salvation for the family is that every day Josefina Torres goes to California Pacific Medical Center's Adult Day Health Center on 30th Street. Staff members make sure she is involved in many projects and feels needed.
Torres loves to paint and draw, and help with cooking and tidying.
Before lunch, she carefully rolls the silverware into napkin sets. She also acts as a peacemaker. It has made all the difference, Garcia says, between her mother's being a burden or living a full life despite the dementia. I'm glad that President Reagan spoke up about Alzheimer's, and I'm sorry for him, because he's human. But he's rich.