Annemarie and Bri
Annemarie’s mother decided it was time to detox. World War II had just ended. In the aftermath, Annemarie’s father, a hotelier, moved their family from Denmark to a part of Argentina known as “beef country.”
While settling into their new life, her mother visited a local health spa, where she learned about a twenty-one day vegetarian cleanse. Concerned about her family’s health, she decided to try it—and that the rest of her family would try it along with her.
“My mother was difficult to resist once she’d set her mind to something,” Annemarie recalls. So despite the protests of Annemarie and her siblings, the family ate mostly fruits and vegetables for three weeks.
In the months and years that followed, everyone in Annemarie’s family enjoyed generally good health. “My mother was convinced that our month-long vegetarian diet was the reason for this, even decades later,” Annemarie recalls, her eyes twinkling.
“I was eleven years old,” Annemarie says, “but I remember our family cleanse like it happened last month. It marked the beginning of my lifelong interest in the power of food to promote health and healing.”
This passion ultimately led Annemarie to become a writer, teacher, and advocate who has inspired millions of people around the world to better health through natural foods. She has written four books on nutrition, including the classic Food and Healing, which has been translated into six languages.
In 1977, Annemarie founded the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, the first cooking school in the U.S. specializing in natural foods. She continued to serve as Chairman until recently.
More than a professional pursuit, Annemarie’s passion for helping others eat healthfully and enjoyably is a true vocation. “I’m at my best when helping others learn to nourish themselves and the people they love,” Annemarie says. “That is why to this day, I still teach people how to cook using my own kitchen,” Annemarie says. “Just as I did when I first started.”
Impressively, Annemarie’s work has always been only one facet of her life accomplishments. She also raised two daughters. While both of them now live outside New York, they visit her frequently. Annemarie also often takes trips to Colorado, where one of her daughters and grandchildren live.
Transitions
In 2011, Annemarie’s life changed. Her husband of many years passed away. Around the same time, she developed a heart condition for which she required surgery. “I’ve been so lucky in life,” Annemarie says. “This was my turn for some bad luck.”
When Annemarie returned home after her stay in the hospital, she felt disoriented. She found she was forgetting appointments and struggling to keep up with all the mail she received. She also had a hard time tracking her expenses and ensuring her bills were paid. “At first, I thought I was just tired,” Annemarie said. “But after time passed and I continued to feel the same way, I realized something had changed.”
Annemarie realized she was entering another stage of life. Her body and mind were changing. She was getting older. “Aging is a natural process,” Annemarie says, “and nothing to be ashamed of. The important thing is to notice and respond to the changes you experience—and to get help when you need it!”
Through a conversation with her longtime assistant, Annemarie learned about Renewal Memory Partners. “I’ve been lucky to have a lot of support in my life,” Annemarie says. “What interested me in Renewal is their holistic approach and their preventative focus on working with people before a crisis hits.”
Care Partnership
Annemarie had a clear picture of the help she needed. “I wanted someone who could help me with my personal bookkeeping and with things like setting up my phone and computer,” Annemarie said. Annemarie met with one of Renewal’s Care Managers and described what she was looking for. “I also needed someone who could help me stay organized. The person had to be patient, trustworthy, and quick.”
During their assessment, Annemarie’s Care Manager learned that she had not yet submitted all her paperwork for her Medicare benefits. She also needed help sorting out some of her medical bills from her stay at the hospital. “Renewal was able to help me with more than I expected,” Annemarie says. “It was a nice surprise.”
Based on the needs that Annemarie articulated, Annemarie’s Care Manager introduced her to Briana, who was working for Renewal in an administrative role. While Briana’s work centers in the main office, Renewal maintains a guiding principle that all employees, at all levels, engage in direct care. “Everyone at Renewal looks for opportunities to work directly with clients,” Briana says. “It’s one way we all stay connected to what the organization is all about. Plus, it’s fun.”
Annemarie and Briana formed an instant connection. “In all my years as a teacher and entrepreneur, I’ve become a good judge of character,” Annemarie recalls. “And I trusted Briana from the start. She knew what she was talking about. I could trust her.”
Prior to joining Renewal Memory Partners, Briana worked in the nonprofit sector, specializing in disaster relief. After Hurricane Katrina, she moved to New Orleans, where she lived for five years supporting people in need and helping rebuild the city. “New Orleans became like a second home,” Briana says. “I’ve stayed connected to the city. Even after moving to New York and joining Renewal, I’ve used paid time off to go back to New Orleans as a volunteer.”
“During my time in New Orleans, I helped rebuild the homes of many seniors,” Briana says. “From that experience, I saw how vulnerable the aging population can be, and also how strong and resilient they often are.”
In particular, Briana recalls her experience with Miss Miriam, one of her neighbors. “I’d help her when she needed a hand with stuff like changing light bulbs or setting her clocks,” Briana says.
Miss Miriam was eighty-two years old when Hurricane Katrina hit. “She ended up having to climb into her son’s attic and wait on his roof for two days to be rescued once the flooding started,” Briana says.
“When I asked her why she moved back, she said it was because this was her home and she never wanted to live anywhere else,” Briana says. “I think a lot of elderly people feel the same way about wanting to stay in their home as long as possible, even if there is a natural disaster or they develop a physical or memory impairment that makes this more difficult. ”
While Briana mostly supports Annemarie with the bookkeeping and bill paying, they still exchange news and stories of their lives. Annemarie proudly shared the news about her newest grandson in December; Briana’s previous volunteer experience at a furniture bank helped Annemarie figure out where to donate her unused furniture.
“I think Annemarie was trying to keep up with all of the responsibilities she used to do when she was younger, and it was really difficult,” Briana says. “After finding people like me she can rely on, she’s been able to let go of some of the stress she was feeling and make more room for the many good things in her life.”