Meet the staff, residents and family members featured in ALMOST HOME. Read updates from filmmaker Brad Lichtenstein, who reconnected with everyone in January 2006 and reports on what's happened to the people featured in the film since he finished filming in February 2005.

John George, Nursing Home Administrator John George is the young manager of the nursing home at Saint John’s On The Lake and the lead visionary of Saint John's culture change movement. The culture change movement advocates choice in every aspect of nursing home life—from mealtimes to personal care—and deeper relationships between staff and seniors. Update: John George has grown more committed and confident in his quest to transform Saint John’s. Over the 2005 holiday season, he journeyed all over town to find Christmas ornaments that better reflect the ethnicity of the staff and is negotiating with state regulators to allow a paging system that would rid the nursing home of all beeps from bed, elevator and wheelchair alarms—less hospital and more home.

Enchantra Cosey, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Enchantra Cosey is a nine-year veteran of Saint John’s On The Lake. Like many of the certified nursing assistants (CNA’s) at Saint John’s, Cosey is poor, African American and a single mom. Despite the challenge of raising her daughter and two grandchildren and coping with the incarceration of her two teenage sons, Cosey finds time to attend night classes for her GED. Her dream is to become the director of nursing at Saint John’s. Update: After dropping out, Enchantra has re-enrolled in the GED program with plans to graduate in the summer of 2006 and then begin nursing school.

Edie Herrold, 80, Independent Living Resident Lloyd Herrold, 79, Nursing Home Resident Once notables on Milwaukee's social circuit, Edie and Lloyd Herrold began living apart after Lloyd's Parkinson's disease forced him to move from their independent living residence to the Saint John’s nursing home. Edie struggles with feelings of guilt for not providing Lloyd’s care and her fear of losing her own health. In ALMOST HOME, Lloyd comes to terms with his separation from Edie and—unexpectedly—falls for one of his fellow nursing home residents, Mary Griffith. Update: Edie moved from her independent living apartment to the assisted living floor due to increasingly frequent falls and was recently diagnosed with a form of cancer that her doctor says is 98 percent curable. Lloyd enjoyed Mary’s companionship until she passed away in January of 2006. While very sad, Lloyd retains his sense of humor and determination to press on. Lloyd and Edie have lunch together every Tuesday.

Arienne Balser, 75, Nursing Home Resident Arienne Balser suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side. In ALMOST HOME, Balser appears confused about her condition and suspects that the nursing assistants “resent” her for being “relatively educated,” while they are not. Toward the end of the film, she suffers a second stroke. Update: Arienne rarely calls out in pain or anxiety any more, perhaps due to an increasing harmony with staff. Her granddaughters visit her every weekend.

Bob Haig, 90, Independent Living Resident Dolores Haig, 88, Nursing Home Resident Bob Haig is a healthy 90-year-old who still works in the photography studio where he has made portraits of nearly every famous Milwaukeean. In ALMOST HOME, he struggles to adjust to the “disappearance” of Dolores Haig, his wife who is suffering from Alzheimer's. Angry at losing her and the lifestyle they once shared, he sometimes lashes out at the nursing home staff. Update: Bob and Dolores continue to spend lots of time together, and Bob’s relationship with the staff is mostly harmonious these days. Though he was briefly hospitalized for a bout of dizziness, Bob is still devoted to his routine of work, civic engagement and church. He hosted the filmmakers for a presentation of ALMOST HOME to his Rotary Club chapter last February.

Ralph Nelson, 84, Independent Living Resident Ralph Nelson takes advantage of the woodworking studio at Saint John’s On The Lake, attends plays and cracks a lot of jokes. Afraid of becoming frail or sick, he said, "My greatest wish would be to wake up dead, that would be the neatest thing." Update: Ralph was lucky that doctors discovered his lung cancer early enough to allow for successful surgery. In typical fashion, Ralph has already returned to his myriad activities.

Edie Herrold, Jr. The daughter of Edie and Lloyd Herrold, Edie Herrold, Jr. finds herself caught between her parents in Milwaukee and her life 350 miles away in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her mother depends on her to handle their finances, while her dad depends on her to deliver the emotional support he no longer gets from his wife. Update: Edie is balancing her music career ((she plays bass, composes music for her jazz quartet, and scores commercials), new work with a startup garden tools company and care for her parents. After the film she recognized fellow daughter/caregiver Amy Blumenthal in the parking lot and the two have subsequently formed a friendship.

Amy Blumenthal Amy Blumenthal is the daughter of nursing home resident Arienne Balser, who suffered a stroke that deadened her left side and contorted her hand into a knot of flesh and bone. Part of the "sandwich" generation caring for parents and children, Amy is on a quest to balance her hectic life. Update: As a result of the film, Amy has grown close to Lloyd Herrold, and discovered fellow daughter/caregiver Edie Herrold Jr., with whom she has formed a friendship. The circle has grown to include Helen Dixon, the daughter of Lloyd’s late companion, Mary Griffith.

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