Personal Narrative: Too Young To Volunteer In A Nursing Home

Volunteering at the Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home over the summer was an invaluable experience. As I became more comfortable, I began extending my duties beyond physical tasks such as serving food or transporting residents. I started interacting with the residents on a more personal level, not as a volunteer, but more as a friend. In return, the residents became increasingly open, and the nurses watched as I conversed with residents they had deemed as reserved. Sometimes when I helped residents they would say nothing, but at the same time they said everything I needed to hear. I probably appreciated helping those residents, more than they appreciated me. Every night when I went to bed, I felt I had actually made a difference. This volunteering experience allowed me to realize that whatever I do in life, I want to go to sleep feeling the same way I did that summer.

Working with the nurse who cared for my ailing grand-aunt, was a life changing experience. I would assist with bathing, grooming and toileting as well as reading to my aunt a couple of her favorite mystery novels. Evening though my grand-aunt 's condition was irreversible, I felt at peace because her nurse made sure she was comfortable and her needs were met. The compassion, empathy, work ethics and support the nurse provided for my family and grand-aunt during this difficult time resonated with me, the nurse inspired me in so many ways and even encouraged me to pursue a profession in nursing.

It was my first time volunteering at a nursing home and I had not known what to expect. After all, I was just another stranger giving these residents a visit. How big of a difference could I really make? My interest in volunteering started when I was shadowing a hand surgeon. Seeing her interact and form special, meaningful relationships with her patients, I, too, began to crave to form these relationships. Thus, I spoke to a few of my friends and we decided to establish Students Teaching Seniors Technology, an organization designed to bring seniors back up to speed with technology and help them feel once again connected to their loved ones. After recruiting a group of volunteers, we arranged weekly trips to Chesterbrook Residences and planned to spend a few hours with the residents there.

I ambitiously decided that I would brighten the lives of the elderly by volunteering at a rest home, but discovered that the elderly were being neglected, shoved aside and forgotten. As I stepped into the home a pungent odor penetrated my nostrils, causing an instantaneous gagging reflex. The place was abounded with neglected and subdued inhabitants, yearning for attention. Anybody that passed them caused a sudden outburst of ranting. The negligence and disregard the home displayed appalled me, but helped me to realize that I wanted to make a difference and change the condition people live in.

My project relates to the course objectives twelve and seven this is because it talks about inclusion, in which all types of diversity are respected, appreciated, and valued in America. As well as the vital role of the people in creating and maintaining a society through voluntarism and civic engagement, a role that can complement and replace the role of the government ensuring the well-being of society. Civic engagement involves “working to form a distinction at intervals the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of information, skills, values and motivation to form that distinction. It suggests that promoting the quality of life throughout a community, through every political and non-political process” (Erlich, 2000). Civic engagement includes every paid and unpaid style of political policy, environmentalism, and community and repair. Volunteering is one kind of civic engagement. Many of the nation’s volunteer’s group are youngsters. 59 percent of teenagers in the U.S. are recorded for their participation in youth volunteer. Most youth volunteers do so out of selflessness and by wanting to make a difference throughout other individual’s lives.

I have been volunteering at the University of Maryland Medical Center since the summer of my freshman year. As a volunteer at the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, I am committed to provide excellence in service, work independently and efficiently, and exhibit patient interaction skills. Ever since I have started volunteering at the hospital, I have learned to become more patient and understanding toward the people who I interact with, and consequently, I have become a more sympathetic and compassionate person.

I’ve worked at Faith Lutheran Nursing Home since the week I turned sixteen my sophomore year. Not a lot of kids my age are willing to a work at a nursing home, but I’m really glad I do. It’s a very eye opening experience, especially as a young person, and I’ve been around a lot of things that most people haven’t in their lifetime, though I’m not allowed to go into detail. If I’ve learned anything from working with the residents, it’s that I love the feeling I get knowing

For the past three years, I have been volunteering in the Day Surgery and Emergency Departments at the Greater Niagara General Hospital. In this role, it is my responsibility to improve patient care and be the first person to approach a patient, even before the nurses. I also help to comfort the families of patients during emergencies, and keep them as calm as possible. I have come to enjoy this role immensely; instead of being home, I volunteer on Christmas Day, as I know that I can be a rather lonely time for most patients. Being able to help people, whether it is fetching them water or being a shoulder to cry on- is incredibly rewarding.

Helping can mean anything. It can mean to support a friend who just had a devastating math examination. It can mean to assist a younger brother’s project due the next day, or it can mean to serve to a mother in sick. As a nurse, it means that I can be there for the patient at their worst. After I became a certified nurse assistant at the age of eighteen, I applied in a nursing home, while working both day and night shifts, and still be a full-time student. Working with patients was mostly a physical job, especially with ambulating patients, handing meals, and providing bathroom privileges. I felt overworked, but I remembered one time where I made a difference to someone else’s life.

For my service-learning project I wanted to volunteer at an elementary school, but I couldn’t do it because I had to work as a volunteer in a retirement house. I’m preferred to look after children than elderly. First place that I chose was Villa Park but senior who live there are Spanish, they couldn’t speak English, so I decided to choose South Pasadena Convalescent Hospital as my place to do this project. I remembered how nervous I was when I went to hospital for the first time. I worried about their diseases that could be contagious. But during the past four weeks working at there, I had a great experience that I would never imagine.

The reason I decided to volunteer at a nursing center is because of my grandmother. Elza Descolines who died at 87 and her death really affected me because she was a big part of my life and her death affected me greatly because she was a big part of my life growing up in the aspect of taking care of me, feeding,, changing etc… and by volunteering with the elderly center it was a way to reconnect with my emotionally with my grandmother. Which I am so ever greatly appreciate for being able to experience.

On Monday, October 12, 2015, I went to the local nursing home with a few girls in my class. We planned on playing games and painting nails with the elders; but when the girls and I arrived, Leon informed us that our task would include painting parking lot lines. Leon directed us outside and provided the materials we would need. He then took us to the parking lot that needed to be painted. Quickly after, the girls and I divided and conquered the task. Myself and one other girl painted lines, while the other two scraped the old lines up and swept away the debris. My friends and I all dressed up for this occasion because we expected to stay inside, but we went with the flow and carefully painted the parking lot lines.

While completing the volunteer hours, I have chosen to work at a home health care service in Baton Rouge, LA. The care service is called Heavenly Haven. I was assigned to work with a client named Rachael Selders. Racheal is twenty-seven years old. Racheal also has a disability, but she is a very intelligent and very independent.

With the hopes of achieving my dreams I volunteer every Saturdays from 4 pm to 8 pm at the Community Medical Center where I receive calls from family members, talk to nurses, deliver gifts to the sick and hand out visitor passes. In addition to volunteering at the hospital, I also

Growing up in a close-knit family molded me into the person I am today. My parents played a significant role in our household as they never failed in being there for me and my siblings. As the eldest and only daughter, I enjoyed the feeling of security and comfort of their presence. On more than one occasion, I felt confident that I would be able to survive without my parents around because I figured I was not a “kid” anymore. They will be happy to learn that that was not the case when I travelled to Guam for two weeks five years ago. My first cousin, Cedric, participated in the 2011 All-Star Regional Baseball tournament on Guam, and my parents told me that I would be accompanying other relatives to Guam to show support for him. Both feelings of excitement and fear took over my whole body. Ten days on Guam without parents was every teenager’s dream; it was to become my reality.