Meeting with other Residents

On Monday I went to Sunrise to see Conchita. Today Conchita was not feeling well. This gave me a chance to interact with other residents. I started off the day by helping out and taking the sunrise dogs for a walk with a lovely couple: Allison and Jeffrey. I think it is so wonderful that a couple can participate in an assisted living program together. We talked about their experiences they had at Sunrise, If they liked the situation, and their overall feeling of the environment. Their feelings as well as the other residents that I have interacted with all have this same consensus of Sunrise being a well-balanced enjoyable place to spend their final years. I really was so impressed with this facility that I discussed it with my parents. My parents felt as if I was trying to sell them on an assisted living arrangement. Anyways, today since Conchita was not feeling well, I participated in activities with other residents. First I led a Tai Chi class with my advisor Lisa. This was nice because everyone is so excited to see new faces around Sunrise. The residents are so interested in who you are. I guess when you think about it, many don’t have a lot of visitors, so it helps to have new faces around. I have been told that volunteers and new faces around the Sunrise facility are very much appreciated by the residents.

After Tai Chi, I participated in a baking session with some ladies. Followed by baking was lunch time. I sat with residents and enjoyed a nice Chinese Chicken Salad. I mostly answered questions. I didn’t get to ask many questions to these other residents because everyone was excited to find out who I was and what I was doing there. Its nice to see the excitement on their faces when you tell them you are a volunteer. After lunch was over, I worked with some of the ladies during a gardening class. An interesting fact about this particular Sunrise is that everyday there is a type of social where residents get to socialize with each other. Its very cute. Today’s social was based around it being national pretzels day. I got to read some interesting facts about this historical day. After reading, I facilitated a cross word puzzle. I read off the clues and they filled it in on their own worksheets. I have been really busy lately, so its been hard to get all my posts in. When I go an volunteer I jot down notes in a notebook of things I did that day. I just have not had a chance to blog them as of yet. So if you notice that I have my posts done later or a few in the same day , its because I haven’t had a chance to blog them yet. (its hard to balance 6 classes and a full time job)