Testimonials of the Silver Knights Alzheimer's Charity

Lois Maxwell

We have been very happy to have the Silver Knights and Coach Barry Phillips teach the afternoon classes at The Olive Branch Senior Center. We hope to have classes soon at our new Center 11250 N.107th Ave. Sun City AZ.

Lois Maxwell
Activities Director
The Olive Branch Senior Center 

Peggy Aspinwall’s Testimonial

  I have been the Activities Director at Desert Flower Assisted Living, North Scottsdale for two years. It has been my pleasure and responsibility to provide quality of life enrichment experiences for the 108+ residents. We have a secure memory care unit with 20 residents. Our assisted living residents do not need the secured unit, but still suffer from various levels of dementia and other maladies that affect the elderly. One of the hardest to overcome is isolation.

The residents have been honored with the opportunity to learn chess with the Silver Knights. I have witnesses some amazing results. Firstly, one resident who would not involve himself in activities is very dedicated to the Chess Club. He arrives, participates and is learning the game. He has taken his materials and organized a neat portfolio. I see how this has given him purpose even when the club is not playing. I have another resident who comes regularly and practices the flash cards. She has taken the information from the lessons and made her own sheets of information. This has given her an opportunity to share with her co-club members. Thus giving her purpose in life.

One remarkable feature I have seen was during our practice games. The elderly have a defeated attitude. Why bother? They are passive. They are losing their drive to fight. They have slowly lost their ability to perform, to be effective. Our first few games the residents were not willing to capture the other person’s pieces. I now see them driven to conquer. Once a person gives up the will to live they have nothing left. I see how playing chess can develop their drive to succeed - to overcome. Once they are successful in a game they are eager to play again - in fact insatiable. We play in a group. If one person sees a move the others did not - that person is validated. The more an individual recognizes that they can do something the more they are willing to do. The more a person does, the rounder- more complete person they are; the more there is reason to survive another days.