Hundreds of newborns in Mid-Michigan are getting warm blankets - personally crocheted by Brookdale Meridian resident Sylvia Vince. To date, she has given over 2,000 blankets to a pregnancy women's center. “I just get a lot of smiles and thank-yous; that's huge for me,” Sylvia says.

On NBC 10 News Today, Kim Elliott joined NBC 10’s Abby Price and Hannah Clark to discuss Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

In her free time at Brookdale Sakonnet Bay, Joyce Andrews keeps the beaches clean. She brings out her picker and her bags and spends hours picking up litter. Joyce has collected so much that she's known as the "Trash Queen" of Tiverton. And she has no plans to give up that crown. “Some people will say, ‘Oh, you’re getting so old.’ But I don’t feel old," Joyce says. "I keep active, mentally and physically. I just have to do stuff all the time to keep occupied. I can’t stop. I have to keep going – outside.”

Gene Tipton started collecting autographs when he was 25. Now, decades later, he has nearly a thousand. "One of the first ones was from composer David Rose," Gene recalls. "[He's] one of my favorite musicians." At Brookdale Colonial Heights, his walls are covered in signed pictures, with hundreds more carefully kept in binders.

At Brookdale Robinwood, 101-year-old Henry Arrowood still ponders his wartime experience. Henry is a member of the local WWII Last Man Club. At one time, that included some 300 veterans. Now, Henry is the last one living. He didn't expect to be the last. “Well, being the last man [standing] in the county, what about the state?” he asked. “I feel like I could live a long time yet.“

Frank Burgmeier had a dream to serve his country. And on June 6th, 1944, that dream put him in the air over Normandy on one of the most consequential moments in history. “I did 65 missions and my 39th was D Day, the biggest moment of my life, ever,” Frank recalls. More than nine thousand Allied troops were killed or wounded on D-Day. Frank remembers a glorious chaos. “It was almost… otherworldly,” he adds.

Even 80 years later, George Fotovich still remembers D-Day. “Everything happens so fast you don’t have much time to think about it,” he says. “It’s not a matter of being afraid. It’s a job. When you do a job, you do it whether you think about it or not." George fought in other battles during WWII, including the Battle of the Bulge. It earned him a Purple Heart.

Veterans at Brookdale Peachtree attended a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Andy Pendleton fought in World War II. At 101-years-old, he says the ceremony brought back memories. "Things I didn’t remember from 80 years ago became real again. I was lucky and survived without [getting] hurt. And I praise those who gave their life for us so that we could enjoy freedom."

These days, George Fotovich lives at Brookdale Rotonda. But 80 years ago, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division. George was a paratrooper, and fought on D-Day, helping the Allies turn the tide of World War II.

In Longview, Texas, 23 senior living communities came together for a day of competition: volleyball, bean-bag toss, dancing contests. Brookdale Henderson's residents dressed up as superheroes. Clara Braswell was getting her arm ready for the bean-bag toss. “We're all having fun together,” she said. This is the 10th year of the Longview Area Senior Games.

Brookdale Jackson Oaks is home to 28 veterans. And on Memorial Day, they were honored with a program, complete with music, poetry, and a guest speaker.

In 1968, Lyle Parker was in Vietnam. He saved three fellow soldiers' lives, which earned him a Soldier's Medal. But Lyle is humble about it. “It didn’t seem like much,” he says. “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.” Now, at 84, Lyle lives at Brookdale Wilmington. He journaled his experiences in Vietnam, and says it's helpful, as he has dementia.

Eighty years ago, George Burson remembers being shot down over Germany in World War II. For months, he and 19 other men lived as prisoners of war. They were finally freed after Russian liberated the camp. George was awarded a purple heart by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. But if George could have lived his life differently, he would have. "I would just work for the forest service. I wouldn't go to war."

78 years ago, James Baynham was shot down over Germany. He and four others were held as POWs for eight months. Now, James is the only surviving member. “I just want my guys to be remembered,” he said. “They gave their lives for us.” James just turned 100. At Brookdale Club Hill, his family and friends hosted a patriotic birthday celebration for him.

The "Brookdale Boys" aren't a typical boy band. But they know how to put on a show. They perform once a month, and practice a couple times a week. "Perfect, perfect, keep the life going, see?" says one member. "I'll soon be 90, and I'm more viable because of it. It's fun, we laugh a lot, and that's important."