Coloring Steadies Shaking Hands

Written by

Donald Thrush’s hands don’t stop shaking from the Parkinson’s disease he was diagnosed with in 1997. He’s now in stage 4. But, as he scoots up to a tray table, a crayon in his hand, his shaking slows. Eventually his hands don’t shake at all, as he methodically colors.

It all started five or six years ago when one of their 13 grandchildren had left behind a coloring book. Donald’s wife, Berna, colored as the couple watched TV. Donald asked her to hand him the book. She passed him the book and crayons and was amazed at what he could do. He soon advanced to adult coloring books with intricate details.

It’s the only thing that controls the shakiness. Donald also suffers from Alzheimer’s and high blood pressure. He has a pacemaker, and he relies on a home health aide to help him dress, bathe and perform other daily tasks.

“Somehow this helps him focus his mind,” said Tracy Risk, the aide who helps the Thrushes five days a week. The service is among several provided by CICOA.

Berna had been taking care of her husband of 55 years, but as his health declined, he began falling, and she no longer could lift him. She remembers one Sunday while she was at church, Donald fell while tending their little flower garden. He laid on the cold ground nearly three hours. His doctor suggested they contact CICOA.

“CICOA makes sure we have what we need,” Berna said. And, it allows them to stay in their apartment, where they’ve lived 12 years.

The Thrushes once owned a carpet laying business in Toledo, Ohio, where they reared their three children. After retiring, they moved to Indianapolis – Berna’s hometown – in 1989, to be closer to her family.

“It’s hard to watch him struggle,” she says. “But he’s a proud man, who is determined to be as independent as he can. Coloring gives him something he can achieve.”


More News & Stories

CICOA Blogs Banner

FSSA Launches Online HCBS Waitlist Dashboard

The Family and Social Services Administration is launching  a new online resource for individuals and families to confirm an individual’s waiting list placement for the Health and Wellness, PathWays, and Family Supports waivers. The Online HCBS Waitlist Dashboard is available...
Home Repairs and Modifications for Aging Veterans in Indianapolis Area

CICOA Receives $27,000 to Repair Homes of Aging Veterans

Meals on Wheels America and The Home Depot Foundation team up to support Central Indiana’s seniors For the second year, CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions announces that it has received a grant of $27,000 from Meals on Wheels America and...
President & CEO Lisa Schneekloth

CICOA Appoints Lisa Schneekloth as President and CEO

CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions today announced that its board of directors has unanimously chosen Lisa Schneekloth as the nonprofit’s next president and chief executive officer, effective March 15. Lisa Schneekloth, President and CEO Schneekloth is the organization’s first woman...