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.