A person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service. “Merriam-Webster”
It could be you!
Seasons Adult Day Health
Services is an example. I got an email
from Renee Pope, CTRS.
Here is what she said:
Hello Volunteers!
For the next few months
we will focus on activities, at Seasons this is where we truly
shine! Activities are the “things we do,” like getting dressed, doing
chores, playing cards, even paying bills. They can be active or passive,
done alone or with others. Activities represent who we are and what we’re
about. Planned activities can enhance the person’s sense of dignity and
self-esteem by giving more purpose and meaning to his or her life.
Activities can also help reduce behaviors like wandering or agitation.
Here are some
suggestions to keep in mind when doing activities with people with
dementia.
Focus on enjoyment, not
achievement
Find activities that
build on remaining skills and
talents.
Encourage involvement in
daily life
Activities that help the
individual feel valued
can provide a sense of
success and accomplishment.
Relate activity to work
life
A former office worker
might enjoy activities that
involve organizing, like
putting coins in a holder,
helping to assemble a
mailing or making a to-do list.
A farmer or gardener may
take pleasure in working
in the yard.
Look for favorites
The person who always
enjoyed drinking coffee and
reading the newspaper
may still find these activities
enjoyable, even if he or
she is no longer able to
completely understand
what the newspaper says.
Change activities as
needed
Try to be flexible and
acknowledge the person's
changing interests and
abilities.
Stress a sense of
purpose
If you ask the person to
make a card, he or she may
not respond. But, if you
say that you're sending a
special get-well card to
a friend and invite him or her
to join you, the person
may enjoy working on this task
with you.
Don't criticize or
correct the person
If the person enjoys a
harmless activity, even if it
seems insignificant or
meaningless to you, you should
encourage the person to
continue.
Encourage self
expression
Include activities that
allow the person a chance for
expression. These types
of activities could include
painting, drawing, music
or conversation.
Substitute an activity
for a behavior
If a person with
dementia rubs his or her hand on a
table, put a cloth in his
or her hand and encourage the
person to wipe the
table. Or, if the person is moving
his or her feet on the
floor, play some music so the
person can tap them to
the beat.
Try again later
If something isn't
working, it may just be the wrong
time of day or the
activity may be too complicated.
Try again later, or
adapt the activity.
7
You all do a fantastic
job and we greatly appreciate you!
Renee Pope, CTRS
Activity Coordinator
Seasons Adult Day Health
Services
In Midland Michigan, on Thursday I go to Senior Services and I go
to the Dublin Club. The Dublin Club is a
program for persons that have memory loss.
I am one of those persons and we go there one day a week for 10 meetings,
then we have a break. Last June 2011 at
the break, Renee and Erin asked me if I would like to volunteer in another
program in Seasons Adult Day Health Service.
I asked what would I do and she said it would be watering the plants
once a week. I said YES, I was very
happy that someone would think that I could be worthy. In the summer, we watered the inside plants
and then go outside to water the garden.
We didn’t do just the flowers, there were veggies, fruits and
herbs. When we went out, there was more outside
watering flowers, and also watering veggies and fruit. When I say “we” it means that a person in the
day care will help me. They may be walking,
sitting under the porch, stopped to talk, watering plants, picking fruit and
veggies and maybe one or more will stop to eat food. There is a lot of laughter out in the garden.
There are many ways to volunteer: hospitals, military, religions,
children, community, education, environment, health, mentor, homeless, women,
virtual disaster, hunger and more.
We have chosen throughout our lives-volunteering-not knowing we
were volunteering. Going back, did you
help your friend when he fell down off his bike, did you help him up? You just chose to volunteer! Or, did you sit with your girlfriend when
her Grandmother died and you held her hand?
You volunteered! You chose to
volunteer when you went in to the Military.
You chose to volunteer to help someone else.
My Grandmother died one year after I
became a nurse. Grandma did not want to go to a nursing home. We promised that she would stay at our home. My mom,
sister and I took turns caring for her.
It was a struggle. Mom and Penny
went to work one day and I just got home from the night shift and I looked into
Grandma’s bedroom and she was sleeping. I went to lie down across from Grandmas
bedroom. She needed to go to the bathroom,
so I got her to the bathroom and then got her back to bed, she went to
sleep. About an hour later she was not
doing well. When I tried to talk to her,
she was mad at me. She was crying and didn’t
think that I loved her,that we put her in a nursing home and it was raining on
her. I told her she was home, I loved
her, there was no rain, and she told me that I lied. She would not believe me, I started to
cry. I called Dr. Stevens' office and his
wife answered the phone (she was also a nurse).
She calmed me down. Then she said to me, “Sara, I will leave at noon
and will be there with you”.
I was a nurse and could not help my Grandma. I could not do both. And Jean
did. She told me to go to bed. When I was sleeping she started to call people
from the church to take turns to stay at our home until I would wake up to
help. That was volunteering! God Bless them. Grandma died 3 days later.
Everyone can be a volunteer.
Ask in your mind what you would want to choose? We can look at the newspapers, TV, friends, family,
at work, church and just look around you.
I saw in the newspaper and TV that anyone can come to Big
Boy Restaurant to share your thoughts and ideas. That was in September 1982, a
group of concerned citizens organized Hospice of Bay County.The first time I
volunteered was after my Grandma died. I was going there with my co-worker and
my friend, Gracia at the Hospital and another friend, Verlyn from the church
came. Because of the help at our house I
needed to pass it on. The 3 of us were
in the first group to take training, there were approximately 54 volunteers and
helping 31 families. The youngest patient was under two years old and the
oldest, over 80.
Now it is June 2012.
I have two Granddaughters who will be volunteering this summer, Jessica
will be helping children and Cali will be at the Field Neuroscience Center. My
sister Penny and I are volunteers. at the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater
Michigan Chapter, Central Michigan Region. The address is 4604 N. Saginaw Rd.,
Suite F., Midland, MI. They can also be
reached at alz.org/gmc and 800-272-3900.
Everyone has something to contribute and you can say, “You
are still ok, you are alright, someone still cares for you, and you are still
loved”.
Words: volunteering, helping, willing, caring, loving, touching,
reading, cooking, walking, laughing, singing, sharing stories, listening. What
words would you use?
