Brookdale resident dances her way to ‘The Ellen Show’

Betty Wilson loves dancing, and she loves watching “The Ellen Show,” according to her resident profile.

Wilson, 83, moved to Brookdale Champions in Houston after starting to show signs of memory loss. Nearly every day since moving in November 2014, program director Priscilla Duran has played dancing clips of the show, and Wilson has become more engaged with the videos.

Duran entered, and won, a Brookdale contest.

“One of the prizes (was) I got to grant the wish of a lifetime for a resident,” Duran says to Cypress Creek Mirror. “Immediately I thought how cool it would be to get Betty on the Ellen Show.”

Duran was able to take Wilson and her daughter, Valerie Stanley, to a two-day trip to Los Angeles for a taping of the show through partnerships with Brookdale Senior Living, Wish of a Lifetime and It’s Never Too Late.

“(Wilson) had fun from the time we walked out of (the) residence,” Duran says. “She was dancing with the TSA people in the security line.”

Wilson complimented other audience members’ outfits and shook hands, Stanley says. The audience also won free mattress sets.

There was a watch party for residents and friends had a watch party the day the episode aired.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.