Guest Blogger, Rosebud, age 97

Posted by Dr. El - February 8, 2009 - Anecdotes, Communication, Customer service, Dementia, Resident education/Support groups - 6 Comments

97-year old Rosebud, whom I mentioned in my 11/15/08 post, was a social worker, raised two children, and now lives in a nursing home.  She would like to share with you the following thoughts about recreational activities:

“Old folks know a lot and need to have their minds stimulated.  We residents can’t speak back and forth, so there’s a lot of lonely time.  We’ve lived different lives and we need to find out what we have in common so we can be drawn together.  The recreation staff can help us talk to each other about our lives.
I have the will to have a purpose, but now I need assistance grabbing onto it.  Just as we residents need help with cooking and serving our meals, but have the will to eat, we need help in putting our thoughts together to work on a project with a purpose.  Growing older, I would like to use my wisdom to help someone else.  I want to contribute to a larger cause.”