Woodbury’s Margaret Wachholz: Helping Seniors Live Richer Lives

You probably know Margaret Wachholz from her entertaining, and often insightful, blog posts on Woodbury Patch.

At , she’s known for another reason.

“I’ve been in long-term care for 26 years now … And I’ve never seen anyone who cares like her, the way she reaches out and touches the lives of everyone,” said Kathy Dunleavy, campus director of recreational therapy at the Woodbury senior complex.

Dunleavy was reflecting on Wachholz’s work a couple of months after her former colleague received the Life Enrichment Award from Care Providers of Minnesota.

(Editor’s note: We opted not to interview Waccholz for this story on the suggestion of Dunleavy, who said she might refuse to comment but would appreciate the surprise of seeing a story. “She does not want the recognition, however she so deserves it,” Dunleavy said.)

Waccholz—until recently, when her husband’s work took her to Puerto Rico—spent about 14 months as the community life coordinator at Woodbury Senior Living, which provides a spectrum of care for elderly in the area. What sets Waccholz apart, said Dunleavy, is her personality and the way she connects with its residents.

“The true interest she takes in their lives and the legacy they leave behind,” Dunleavy said. “She recognizes that they are still vibrant members of the community.”

While she has been living in Puerto Rico, Waccholz has remained in touch with the seniors, talking to them on the phone and continuing to encourage them to lead fuller lives, Dunleavy said.

“She’s still part of our campus,” she said. “Even though she’s in Puerto Rico, her presence is here.”

Some residents at Woodbury Senior Living were at times hesitant to come out of their rooms until Waccholz learned their interests and crafted activities especially for them. Dunleavy pointed to English tea times, plays, a jazz program and other initiatives that have gotten the seniors up and about.

“Everything that she did was made into a big event,” Dunleavy said.

In a letter of support for Waccholz to Care Providers of Minnesota, Jim Froehlich, with the University of Minnesota, wrote that she “brings out the best in others.”

“I would like to highlight Margaret’s authentic and unwavering interest in people. It is her ability to listen and discern what is important to the individual that draws Margaret in to visit a senior on her day off,” Froehlich wrote. “It’s this going above and beyond that demonstrates her genuine concern for others. I am not sure how a mother of three young children makes time for these additional activities, however, I do believe it gives you insight inter her character, integrity and huge heart.”

Waccholz earned the Life Enrichment Award from Care Providers of Minnesota on Nov. 15, 2011.

Janice Miller, another who wrote in support of Waccholz, listed 21 reasons why she should win the award in her letter to the association.

“She has taught me more just by being fully who she is than any mentor I’ve ever had,” Miller wrote.

But for residents at Woodbury Senior Living, it’s the little touches that made Waccholz such a valued member of the staff. Dunleavy talked about the way she helps those who are having a bad day—even while she's in Puerto Rico.

“We’ll say that Margaret called and asked about them, and they just light up,” Dunleavy said.