Fieldnote
Have you ever been in the presence of a verbal brawl on the brink of a physical altercation, and you cannot help but watch with anxious anticipation? Well I have, and it was in the most unexpected of places, a nursing home. A place that I assumed was a quiet and peaceful community of the old and sweet, proved to be very different. Long gone are my stereotypes I once held of the elderly demographic, and in its place are the men and women who have given me a tour inside their complex minds that I am still learning to understand.
I work as a Resident Companion at a nursing home, specifically in the Alzheimer and dementia unit. My job as a Resident Companion is to facilitate one and one and group activities with the thirty residents, …show more content…
The first time I entered the Alzheimer and dementia unit I was terrified, I had never seen a group of elderly individuals in the cognitive condition they have to live in. These residents must face the realities of brain degeneration and the inevitable symptoms that come with the disease as forgetfulness, short tempers, communication difficulty, difficulty performing “simple” tasks, hallucinations and much more. Although I was intimidated in the initial month of my job, as I have grown into the position as Resident Companion learning the personalities of my residents and developing relationships with them, the job it is not as daunting. Through my anthropological study, I have learned that although this disease may interfere with their ability to perform everyday tasks, they always look beyond their impairments. As the head nurse put it, “These men and women have many layers to them. Although they are combating this disease they still maintain so much wisdom and have so much to give. They are an integral element to our society.” The activities I facilitate with my residents give them a chance to be active, to socialize, and compete. Activities like trivia, bingo, crafts, baking and kickball are usually employed throughout the day. These activities are an escape from the mundane and sometimes boring life of retirement they wish to evade. Through participant observation, I …show more content…
From my analysis, I realized that activities are more than just a mundane tasks to pass the time, it keeps them alert and allows them to concentrate, which is great exercise and stimulus for the brain. I have learned that the value of physical and verbal exercise is tremendous. Although it will not reverse the effects of the disease, it does improve the quality of their lives and their ultimate happiness. As an outsider, my only preconceptions about the disease was that people thought they were “crazy and psychologically unstable,” but this is merely a misconception that most people in this society unfortunately maintain. Each of my residents have a story and this disease does not mean their story must end. Through an anthropological lens, I have felt a greater appreciation for the culture of people I work with and work even harder to ensure that their days are filled with
Have you ever been in the presence of a verbal brawl on the brink of a physical altercation, and you cannot help but watch with anxious anticipation? Well I have, and it was in the most unexpected of places, a nursing home. A place that I assumed was a quiet and peaceful community of the old and sweet, proved to be very different. Long gone are my stereotypes I once held of the elderly demographic, and in its place are the men and women who have given me a tour inside their complex minds that I am still learning to understand.
I work as a Resident Companion at a nursing home, specifically in the Alzheimer and dementia unit. My job as a Resident Companion is to facilitate one and one and group activities with the thirty residents, …show more content…
The first time I entered the Alzheimer and dementia unit I was terrified, I had never seen a group of elderly individuals in the cognitive condition they have to live in. These residents must face the realities of brain degeneration and the inevitable symptoms that come with the disease as forgetfulness, short tempers, communication difficulty, difficulty performing “simple” tasks, hallucinations and much more. Although I was intimidated in the initial month of my job, as I have grown into the position as Resident Companion learning the personalities of my residents and developing relationships with them, the job it is not as daunting. Through my anthropological study, I have learned that although this disease may interfere with their ability to perform everyday tasks, they always look beyond their impairments. As the head nurse put it, “These men and women have many layers to them. Although they are combating this disease they still maintain so much wisdom and have so much to give. They are an integral element to our society.” The activities I facilitate with my residents give them a chance to be active, to socialize, and compete. Activities like trivia, bingo, crafts, baking and kickball are usually employed throughout the day. These activities are an escape from the mundane and sometimes boring life of retirement they wish to evade. Through participant observation, I …show more content…
From my analysis, I realized that activities are more than just a mundane tasks to pass the time, it keeps them alert and allows them to concentrate, which is great exercise and stimulus for the brain. I have learned that the value of physical and verbal exercise is tremendous. Although it will not reverse the effects of the disease, it does improve the quality of their lives and their ultimate happiness. As an outsider, my only preconceptions about the disease was that people thought they were “crazy and psychologically unstable,” but this is merely a misconception that most people in this society unfortunately maintain. Each of my residents have a story and this disease does not mean their story must end. Through an anthropological lens, I have felt a greater appreciation for the culture of people I work with and work even harder to ensure that their days are filled with