3/26/13

I visited Aegis for 1 hour and 15 minutes today.

It was a very quiet day for the residents in Assisted Living. I spent some time having a good conversation with the residents. We mainly talked about school and the new tunnel that opened up by the devil's slide in Pacifica. The residents were keeping to themselves today, so I decided to leave them be and I visited Life's Neighborhood, the other side of Aegis.

Life's neighborhood was surprisingly very active today. Usually, they are the residents who are quiet and keep to themselves. Today, I was observing them while they played a memory game involving months and numbers. I'm happy to say that they still know what year they are living in. One thing that caught my attention was when Liol, one of the residents, was asked the date of Christmas and he replied with, "October 25th."  I also saw the same woman from my last visit who had been constantly crying for her mother. It shocks me that I find her in the same condition, continuously crying and rambling. Moments like that really sadden me. It reminds me of how debilitating Alzheimer's disease is. Just like the family members of these residents, I'm wishing for a cure for this disease. Hopefully by tomorrow when I visit, the residents will be having a better day.

3/5/13 (pt 2)

After spending some time with the first resident, I decided to spend time with a woman named Delia. She was very confused by her surroundings. I was able to sit her down and I asked her to color with me. We were coloring in some leaf clovers for St. Patrick's Day. She kept saying, "I don' understand what to do." I would then show her how to color and she would copy me. After a few minutes, she would tell me that she didn't know what to do again. This is a perfect example of short-term loss. When I asked her to write a name, she was having difficulty remembering how to write. I would constantly have to show her how to write the letters.

We took a break and decided to play catch. The residents love catch. It was amazing how one minute, Delia claimed that she didn't know how to play, and then the next minute, she was throwing and catching the ball. Following our game of catch, we served tea, coffee, and sandwiches for their daily afternoon snack. I was a little sad when Delia asked me how to get home while I was serving her some snacks. (When residents ask questions like that, we are advised to stay away from the subject.) I replied by telling her to relax and eat.

It was a busy afternoon for the LN residents and a very insightful one for me. It's interesting being exposed to all the different stages/episodes of Alzheimer's, but as always, it is sad. I will try to upload the picture that Delia and I colored.

3/5/13

I visited Aegis for 2 hours today. I will break up my hours by blog.

I spent my time in Life's Neighborhood today instead of Assisted Living. For those who don't remember, Life's Neighborhood is for the more challenged residents with deeper stages of Alzheimer's. The best way to describe these residents is that they are in an elementary school behavior level. They have their good and bad days and need assistance the most.

I was very enticed by one resident. I decided to stick with her for the first hour. She caught my attention because of her behavior. Once I walked in, I spotted a woman sitting in a wheelchair crying. The staff said that she has been doing this every single day for the past two months. She was constantly crying for her mommy, literally. Rambling on and on, she'd either ask for her mother or change the subject. At times, I'd be able to catch a conversation with her for a few seconds and then I'd lose her again to the crying. At one point I heard her say that she was getting married, and then a few seconds later, she said she was tired, very tired. I can't express how heartbreaking it is to see her cry for no reason. However, that is one of the many side effects of the disease.