Reflection

Words will never be able to do justice for the life lessons I have learned from the elderly residents of Aegis Assisted Living. These wise, funny folks have taught me a lot about myself, life, and the general direction I want to pursue in nursing. Completing hours was a tedious, yet rewarding process. There were a lot of setbacks, but there were also plenty of good that came from volunteering with the elderly. Even if it wasn't the physical project I had imagined for myself, I grew as a person and I was able to use critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity within my physical project.

Critical thinking and creativity tied in together when it came to leading activities. Working with elderly residents who suffered from Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease gave me a push to think of ways to get their brains thinking. When I first started volunteering, my mentor had told me that the activities he does helps stimulate the cells in the brain. When I would lead activities with the AL residents, I had to adjust myself to their needs. For instance, if we were playing a trivia game or a word game and they couldn't guess the answer, I would have to think of ways to make it easier for them without giving answers away. At times when I would have conversations with residents, I had to think of the topics we would talk about because their stories would end quickly or they would constantly repeat their story over and over again without realizing it. (That's the Dementia challenge I had to face.) The biggest challenge I had to face when it came to critical thinking and creativity was reality and time. It wasn't easy to make talk with the residents sometimes. I couldn't talk about many recent things in the news or life in general because the residents already loss a sense of time. When we would play games or have conversations, I would use what I learned at school in history and government to make a connection with the residents. I had to use previous knowledge I had from a myriad of topics to make connections with them. It was definitely an obstacle difficult to overcome, but in the end I impressed them from what I knew!

Communication was a very big part of my project because without talking to the residents, I would not have been doing anything for those 25 hours. Every time I visited, I would ask random residents how their day was going or how they felt in general. It was a small way for me to show that I cared about how comfortable they were. They would express many answers ranging from physical pain to a funny story that happened in their day. I also tended to their needs in the case that they needed help getting up, getting a glass of water, or even just having a companion to walk around with them. Communication was particularly difficult when it came to meeting up with my mentor. At times, it would be impossible to contact him, so instead of waiting on him, I'd just drive down there to be with the residents. If I was lucky, he'd be there, but he was just too busy to answer the phone beforehand. Once or twice I had to wait on him coming back from an outing, but it wasn't a big deal. I would do my own activities with the residents and I'd still have a good time with them.

For my physical project, I had to collaborate most with my mentor and the other activities directors at Aegis. From what I've observed, creating the activity planner for the month can be very stressful. Although I didn't take much part in that process, I still had to confirm with my mentor which activities I would lead and shadow. In ways, the residents and I collaborated as well. Without their opinions, I would have never been able to come up with topics to talk about. If the residents didn't participate in activities, I would not have been doing anything for 25 hours. They played just as huge of a role in the collaboration aspect of my phsyical project.

As I mentioned before, completing hours was a long, yet rewarding process. I faced difficult challenges that made me dread the project at times, and I experienced wonderful memories that will be unforgettable. Capstone project helped me realize my career aspirations. I owe it all to the residents; they taught me more about myself and the nurse I want to be and am determined to be. Personally, the most important thing the residents helped me realize is that I do not want to pursue Geriatrics Nursing. Although I had an enjoyable time with the residents, I couldn't help but feel sad for them at times. I mentioned before that I really hoped there was a cure for them. I do mean that. I just know that I can't be surrounded by the lurking feeling of sadness. I shared with the residents that I love excitement and being constantly busy. That's just how I am. I shared with them that I might go into the direction of Surgical nursing or becoming and ER nurse. The best part about realizing this is that when I shared this with the residents, they believed in my success. I will always be thankful for the lesson they taught me. Socially, I learned throughout the process of completing my hours that I love to help people. I knew that before, but I didn't know the extent to which I would help people. Looking back at my blogs, I would say that I wanted to bring the residents happiness and joy. Even if it is a small deed, it's helping someone get through their day. I know that the skills I learned with the residents will be skills I can apply when I am a nurse helping people with all kinds of illnesses. Intellectually, I learned more about the factors that are put into account when taking care of another human being. Since I worked with elderly people, I had to be sensitive to their needs. It's a huge responsibility to take care of someone. One resident shared some advice with me and told me that as I pursure my nursing career, I must always be willing to learn and be educated. Her advice not only applied to my education and career, but it also applied to the project. I will never forget the life lessons I learned from working with my mentor and the Aegis residents. They truly made the Capstone project enjoyable.

Last Visit

I closed in on my 25 hours yesterday. I must say, it was hectic when I first arrived. My mentor had just come back from shopping with the residents and some keys were missing! We had to search the area for car keys. Once things got settled, I finally got to walk around and talk to residents in both LN and AL.

I first visited resident's in Life's Neighborhood. Again, these residents have more severe stages of Alzheimer's disease. I was speaking to a man and a woman and they were telling me how their jewelry was getting stolen. The hard part was if I should believe them or not. A lot of the residents in LN mix up events that have happened in their past and they believe those events are what is reality as of right now. The only thing I can really do when they tell me stories is to listen.

After visiting LN, I played a good game of Password with Iileen, Sue, and Mary. (Three of my favorite residents) They always give their opinion and they speak the most which is what I like. Password is a guessing game. I gave hints and they guessed the words. We would always have a side story to tell after every word. After our game was finished, I played some piano for them before I left. I really didn't want to say goodbye, so I didn't. I still have to pick up my mentor evaluation, so I will bid my goodbyes then. I'm not sure how it will feel since I've grown an attachment to these wonderful people. Once I say goodbye, I will post my overall reflection of the Capstone project.

B-I-Nursing-G-O!

Today I spent 2 hours with the residents of Aegis.

It was a fun day for me! For the 45 minutes, I lead a conversation on the importance of nurses. I shared my nursing goals with six ladies. It was wonderful hearing their feed back and how they believed in me to become a nurse. We agreed that nurses must have a passion for helping people and they must love what they do. (It can apply to any occupation.) To me, it doesn't matter who you are, I will help you. The residents knew that. We also discussed the importance of willing to learn and be educated. As a nurse, you can never stop learning. I shared with them that my experience being with them has taught me so much. When I told them that tomorrow would be my last day, they gave me so much advice and luck for the future. It was so so so sweet of the ladies. Nursing was a fun topic to lead. I had them participating the entire time and I felt so comfortable with them.

The next hour involved bingo. I sat next to a woman named Mary and watched her play. I told her I would be her lucky charm and during the first round of bingo, she won! :) It's adorable because she remembers her bingo cards by heart. Mary said, "I've used my bingo cards so many times, I already know when a number is mine!" I can tell you, elderly folks take their bingo very seriously!

For the last 15 minutes, I went to visit LN (Life's Neighborhood). Ann Marie was doing some musical therapy. She played the piano and residents were singing along to the music. Again, LN isn't as lively as AL since the residents have more severe stages of Alzheimer's Disease. All in all, things were going well and it seemed as though the residents were doing just fine today.

Tomorrow is the day. 25 hours complete. They've taught me so much. Joe, my mentor, has taught me so much and he's been a great role model. I'm not sure what to think at this point right now. Am I happy or am I sad? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

5/3/13

Today I spent 2 hours with the Assisted Living residents and my mentor.

Most of our time was consumed by our scenic drive. 7 residents, my mentor, and I all drove down to see the large houses by St. Francis Woods in San Francisco. We all had a good time as we browsed houses, sang songs, and joked around about which house we would buy. The residents looked so happy just by being able to get out and sight see.

When we came back, I helped unload all the residents and I started calling people to go down to the lobby for happy hour. Every Friday from 3:30-4:30, residents are allowed to drink (alcohol) and watch live entertainment in the lobby. We had a lovely performance of live music by a trio. During happy hour I talked to residents, served appetizers, and danced with the residents.

I had a fun visit with them today. My hours are coming to a close. 4 more hours and that's all I'll ever be seeing of them again. I hoping for more good memories for my last visit.

We're All Teachers

For the last 45 minutes, I held a short discussion on the qualities that make a teacher great. (I also had a personal talk with a good friend of #3 which I will discuss later on)

During the teacher discussion, I related the qualities back to the stories we all shared. It's really interesting to see how our experiences teach life lessons to each other. I also linked three traits back into my experiences from volunteering at Aegis and how I've become a teacher to the residents.

1. Teachers can say everything without saying anything.
My presence as a young individual changes their entire day. I don't need to talk, I can simply smile or pull up a chair next to them and I've already changed their mood completely. I have tried to show through my actions that no matter how old or young, there are people willing to change lives for the better.

2. Teachers don't accept failure.
I hate seeing residents have bad days and I most especially hate seeing them fall back from independence. If there's one thing I could wish more for for them, it is a cure. I wish there was some sort of cure to stop these wonderful people from deteriorating. I wish there were a way where they didn't have to lose their personality, their memories, and themselves. Cure or no cure, I will not let that stop me from making a difference in their lives.

3. Teachers are adaptable.
I have come to accept that as time has gone by, residents I have come to know are not the same. These residents suffer from different forms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The best that I can do for them is to make them have a better, brighter day.

I know that #3 enjoyed my company today and I too enjoyed his stories. As the discussion came to a close, I greeted the residents goodbye and was able to quickly get in a good talk with #3's friend. What she had told me impacted my inner "nurse" (if I can even call it that). It truly impacted my feelings and sympathy for these residents.

#3's friend told me that #3 was actually a resident living in the home care. She informed me that he is only 60 years of age. That is very young for someone to have a form of dementia. He is nearly 20 to 30 years younger than some residents and it really does hurt me to know how young he is. Doctors found plaque in the arteries of his brain that could have potentially been the cause for his memory loss. On a positive note, his friend did say that he has been getting better in the past few months since he's been at Aegis. The new medication he is taking controls the memory loss, but it does not stop it. His friend visits him almost everyday. She is not obligated to, but as a good friend of his (also having worked closely with him since she was Chief of the SFPD), she spends 8 hour days accompanying him. Her selflessness is what I seek for as a nurse and she's an inspiration to me.

Today was not what I expected it to be and I am so glad I came to visit. I'm happy that instead of hosting a game, I spent some quality time getting to know more residents. These great people deserve their stories to be heard.

Life Stories

Today I spent 2 hours and 45 minutes with the Assisted Living residents. I will break my blogs up by each activity.

Initially, I was nervous ,yet again, to be thrown out into the wild with the residents by myself. After a few minutes, we were all able to warm up to each other and it really wasn't bad after all. I truly enjoyed the time I had getting to know 3 residents personally, especially #3.

For the first 2 hours, I had a personal discussion with 3 of the residents. Nancy, Vera, a resident who would like to be kept unknown (i'll address him as #3 in this blog), and I discussed about careers and my future career goal in nursing. Nancy was a librarian, Vera had studied psychology in college, and #3 was a police officer for SFPD for over 30 years. The main difference between the three is that Nancy and Vera are quite old and #3 is rather young to be living in Aegis. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was only there to visit. 

For a large chunk of the 2 hours, #3 narrated his life stories and experiences as a police officer for LAPD & SFPD. His stories were so vivid and clear that I had to assume he wasn't a resident. He shared close-to-death experiences, one that even involved a criminal firing towards his head 4 times at a crime scene. As #3 shared his interesting stories, he would say how he come back to the point that he was just doing his job to protect fellow officers and to protect the public. I related those words back to my own passion for helping others and my future goals as a nurse. I shared with the three residents some of my deepest career desires. I shared that I am determined to study hard in order to become accepted into the nursing program at CSULB; I am determined to save lives; and I am determined to fulfill, and surpass, the expectations required of a nurse. #3 expressed how he admired me and believed in my success. I took that to heart, especially coming since it was coming from a person who has seen so much injustice, and so much good in this world. 

After our 2 hour session of life stories, I connected our talks to a short lesson of the fifteen unique traits of a great teacher. 

4/23/13

Yesterday I spent 1 hour with the Assisted Living residents.

When I first arrived, I read to some of my favorite residents. The bond I've created with some residents is really great. I honestly don't know if they remember me or not, but either way if they did or didn't, I still like talking to them.

After some time passed, I decided to switch to some trivia. A woman I don't usually speak to, who's name is Ilene, was playing trivia with me. From what I've observed about her over the past few months is that she's pretty normal compared to the other elderly folks. I have not see any signs of dementia and I used to wonder why she was even at Aegis. As I got her brain going on the trivia questions, I learned a lot about her too. She recalled where she lived, places she visited, and even the schools she attended. But that's not what really caught my attention. As I was speaking to Ilene, I noticed that she was constantly repeating herself. At first I thought it might have been due to old age. But then I was starting to see a pattern and I linked it back to dementia. Our conversation was very similar to this:

Ilene: "I lived in San Francisco. I was right next to Twin Peaks. The weather was great."
Me: "I'm glad you liked it. Especially since you lived next to a nice view."
Ilene: "Oh yes, I lived in San Francisco. Right next to Twin Peaks."
Me: "Would you go up to see the view?"
Ilene: "Yes, my siblings and I would. I was 1 of 8 children. We lived right next to Twin Peaks."
Me: "Wow 1 of 8, that's a lot!"
Ilene: "Yes, my mother had 8 kids... and I was 1 of 8 children. My mother believed in the boys having college educations. I went to school for book keeping."
Me: "Did you like book keeping?"
Ilene: "Yes, I loved it. I was a book keeper for 30 years. I had a great pension from it"
Me: "30 years, a very long time."
Ilene: "Yes, 30 years. I was a book keeper for 30 years and I loved it. I had a great pension from it."
Me: "Would you have wanted to do anything else?"
Ilene: "No, I wouldn't. I loved book keeping. I was actually a book keeper for 30 years and I loved it."

I'm sure you can grasp the idea. If you are wondering if I found this conversation annoying, the answer is no. I didn't. Days like these really make me wish that there is cure for Alzheimer's Disease.