Working with Seniors - End (Part 3 of 3)

I don't want to brag, but I've gotten hit on by a lot of old ladies in the past two to three weeks ("she puts the ew in cougar," one of my coworkers remarked), and it's kind of boosting my self-esteem. But jokes aside, I have gotten way more out of this service work than I originally anticipated, as I have, from the first day, endeavored to represent my school by putting my best self forward, and as a result, I, somewhat unintentionally, became one of the most versatile and active helpers at Dilworth, which provided me with a wider diversity in the type of work that I participated in, and therefore helped make my service more varied and enjoyable. My enthusiasm and willingness to engage also won me the compliments of several of the employees and my fellow volunteers ("everybody knows Zach"), which even further incentivized me to work, which is not to say that my enjoyment of this service opportunity was entirely contingent on the recognition that I received from other employees, as in the past, I have stated that my interactions with the residents were hugely rewarding as well, however, the appreciation that I felt from my coworkers certainly contributed to a positive overall experience. I will say that my final day on the job was less pleasant than some others, as I worked in the memory care facility for the first time, and trying to interact with residents who shouted the same sentence over and over or could not remember an event in the last day or hour, or the last five to ten minutes, was difficult to say the least. To watch my coworker have to explain an activity to a resident for a whole minute (the activity was inflatable bowling) and have him still fail the grasp the concept, and instead of picking up the ball, grabbing all the pins, and then finally kicking the ball into the pins, and then having the same resident, just a mere fifteen minutes later, forget everything that he had been told, and have to be explained the rules of the game, all over again, was draining even to the observer. I honestly think it would be depressing as hell, and I don't know I would even be able to stand it, if it was my full-time employment to actively engage with residents who have no chance to remember or simply think anything; it forced me to consider the quality of life of an individual that is no longer capable of reason, one that can still experience emotion, but can no longer comprehend why. As someone that enjoys learning and thinking and generally being self-aware, this is an intimidating prospect, to say the least, especially since Alzheimer's and dementia have plagued so many of my remote family. However, my favorite and far and away the most enthusiastic of my coworkers also happened to be stationed almost exclusively in memory care, so therefore I feel that I can recommend this opportunity to any future volunteer, and, provided that they come in with a positive attitude and an open mind, I am confident that they would have a very fulfilling and fun experience, just as I have.

- Zach