Hello! My name is Joan Rider and I have been working in senior living for over 20 years now. I got my start as a caregiver in a memory care community... about the same time I adopted my first rescue turtle. I have since furthered my career and now I am the Director of Memory Care for a large senior living provider in Wisconsin.

 

As I worked on moving up in the workforce, I realized that seniors love learning new things and are most are fascinated by animals, even those funny looking critters with shells. 

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As my career progressed, so did my knowledge and love for turtles. I taught myself everything I needed to know to provide the best care for new shelled friends. I started sharing that information with anyone that would listen.

 

Eventually, the turtles started going to work with me, libraries, community organizations and schools. I learned that most children and adults loved learning and interacting with my turtles. The programs I offer evolved from being purely educational and morphed into a more therapeutic experience. I started introducing themed art projects to meet the abilities of my audience. 

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I would love to work with you and show the world how wonderful turtles, art, and the world can be! To see what we are up to, check us out on Facebook: Sweet Shells Therapy!