As you all may or may not know I have been volunteering at Sunrise Retirement Home. I have been assisting the employees in providing a routine schedule full of activities for the elderly who reside in the home. Working around my "banker hours" schedule, I have spent just shy of 15 hours over the last month. What a great experience it has been.
Most of my time has been spent assisting the elderly in their structured activites. Bingo is a favored game for the ladies. I assist the elderly with poor eye sight in marking their numbers helping them working towards winning the nickle pot. A variety of art and craft projects are provided daily for the residents. I took part in setting up for the activities as well as providing conversation for the ladies while they took part in the projects. I loved seeing their faces light up as they remembered me from the previous visits. I also helped with clipping coupons for the elderly to sort into bins for them to use on their purchases. Those were just a few ways I interacted with the residents at Sunrise Retirement Center.
An elderly person is bound just like a new born baby. Unable to communicate because of a stroke can leave an elderly frustrated. An elderly will have to find other ways to communicate what their needs are as does a baby who has not learned how to talk. Hands stuck in a tight position because of arthritis limits an elderly from painting a beautiful picture or lifting a cup to his or her mouth. A conversation that continues to repeat itself are signs of a bad day for an elderly. The mind is unable to remember. All of these examples are reasons a baby and an elder both need assistance in their daily routines.
I have enjoyed interacting with the elderly that reside in the home. I would also have to say growing old is very sad. I do not look forward to not be able to provide for myself. I know some may disagree and think I am cruel for saying that but it is the truth. I am thankful that we have retirement homes to help with assistance for those who do not have family who are able to assist. It takes a special person to work with the elderly. They must be very patient and understand. It can be annoying to hear the same story over again from an elder person. You must engage yourself and treat it as if you are hearing the conversation for the first time.
Over all it was a great experience. You must be able to step out of your comfort zone and be able to adapt to the environment you are in.
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Thanks for a lovely post. I loved the part where you said their faces lit up from recognizing you.
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