Nursing Home Volunteering (Part III)

This month, I went back to the VA nursing home because I've really enjoyed getting to know many of the residents and helping them with their physical fitness. I did many of the same things I've done before, but it's always fun to see the residents again and see their progress from the last time I visited. I started by fixing everyone's coffee (and making sure that it was to everyone's satisfaction!) and I helped Tricia get the room ready for everyone. I saw many of the same residents as before, and this time Tricia let me help lead the group exercises as she went around to adjust some residents' form. All of the movements were really simple -- lifting one leg vertically and holding it, then the other leg, etc -- but it was obvious how weak some of the residents were (especially on one side of the body), and it was really cute to see them making an effort. The goal is basically just to get in movement to get blood flowing and preserve whatever range of motion the residents have so that they don't hurt themselves trying to do day to day activities. We did other simple movements like arm circles, bicep curls, and lateral arm raises. Then, some residents took a coffee break while Tricia and I bounced a medicine ball to other residents. I think this is always my favorite exercise because it's fun and allows me to connect with the residents when we do it one on one! It helps with hand eye coordination, reflexes, and even just vision. I like to start by bouncing the ball close and then get further and further away to make the activity more challenging. I also told them to pretend they were catching beads from a Mardi Gras float, and they enjoyed that a lot!

I really enjoy working with older people because I love talking to them and hearing their life stories. Many told me about their families, where they were from (mostly the south), and their hobbies. A lot of the residents had speech or hearing problems that made it difficult to hold an entire conversation, but I tried to talk to everyone! I was really interested to hear what hobbies everyone had because I get anxious if I have one day off of class -- I can't imagine what I would do without any obligations or schedule. A lot of the residents told me they participate in many of the scheduled activities in the home like bingo nights, card games, drawing, movie nights, etc, and it made me really happy that everyone had activities to participate in and a space to socialize. In a way it almost reminded me of my college dorm -- everyone living together in shared rooms, organized group activities, set mealtimes -- and I noticed a lot of people who did share rooms seemed to be friendly with one another. This contrasted with many nursing homes I've seen here in New Orleans where there are not many activities available and most of the nurses and staff do not really seem to care much about the residents at all. At this home, it was obvious that the staff knew the residents by name and asked how they were doing, and all of this made me really happy because one thing I worry a lot about for nursing home residents is lack of a social outlet. I'm also always impressed how relatively clean this home is, but that might just be my own trauma from seeing horror stories of New Orleans nursing homes firsthand. Overall I really enjoy volunteering here, and I'm excited to go back soon!

Hours: 2