Cameron Kay
July 2, 2016 10am-4pm
Webster House
John Q. Dela Cruz
I never expected working at Webster
to be sad. My dealings with the elderly before Webster had mostly been where
they marvel at my youth and then talk about their grandchildren. Or they’re my family members and simply ask me about my life. However, it’s a very different experience at Webster. Because it
was Friday, we had ice cream hour. I went around and served scoops of Cookies
‘n Cream and sugar-free Vanilla ice cream to the residents and nurses. Many of
the residents couldn’t have it because of dietary restrictions and the ones who
could struggled to hold the spoon without a nurse’s aid.
We played Bingo in the afternoon. I
know that’s the most stereotypical elderly thing to do, but we did. Another
volunteer was calling the numbers, so I sat at a table with two women. They
asked me about where I wanted to go to college and told me about their
families. It felt very comfortable to me, more comfortable than any other
interaction I’d had that day with a resident because it was familiar. They each
got three bingos apiece and told me that I was lucky for them. I was happy to
be doted on a bit, but was jerked out of my stupor when a nurse came over to
check their blood pressure and administer their medication.
It’s the dependence of the residents
on the care of the staff and the means of the facilities that bothers me.
They’ve gotten to a stage in their life where they can’t be independent like I
am. I took one resident out into the garden today because the nurses told me
that she likes to be in the sun, but I shouldn’t keep her out for more than forty
minutes. She didn’t speak a word of English, so we just sat together in the sun
for a while and she didn’t want to go back inside. They’re confined to the home
without any real privacy. They need someone to push their wheelchairs, feed
them, give them their medications, prepare their food, go to the bathroom, or
even just put down the little slots on their Bingo cards. I’m glad I can be one
of those people because I’m something new in a life that’s entirely made up of
routine.
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