Retirement and Care Centre: Writing nursing report for my internship program experiences

I volunteered at St John of God Retirement and Care centre, a nursing home that is located at 2468 S. St. Andrews in Los Angeles California.  St John's is an assisted living facility that offer care services such as care for patients with Alzheimer’s, independent living, continued care, and assisted living to elderly people. It also provides medical  nursing assistance for elderly with serious illnesses or disabilities. The care centre operates for twenty-four hours a day, and the services are delivered by qualified registered nurses, certified nurse aids, and some volunteers.

At the nursing home, I met the service coordinator who directed me to rehab nurse coordinator who will be assigning me duties and supervising my activities at the center. The primary assignment that I was given was to provide the elderly people with Alzheimer's with everything they need. I was also required to keep them active, for instance, engage them in conversation and provide some physical activities that will engage their brains, and that will promote team working and sharing among themselves. I was required to write a report about nursing internship and my experiences at the care centre. This is how I came across a website and a writer to help me with my nursing paper.

The assignments that I was given seemed simple, but it required critical and ingenious thinking. Therefore, I went and researched on activities that can be helpful for people with Alzheimer’s, that might help to slow memory loss, and that can promote teamwork.  After carrying out a deep research from internets and consulting psychologists and gerontologists about the same, I came up with the following activities: jigsaw puzzles, chess, cards,  and electronic games. I also added some physical activities, such as moving from one corner of the room to the other and sometimes gardening. The activities aimed at engaging the mind and promoting conversation.

  I also introduced some music which some would listen to, and others enjoyed dancing to. I believe that music promotes relaxation and joy, and that is why I included it in my program.

The primary goal of the project was maintaining responsible behaviors and ensuring independence, but the task was not an easy one. The people would sometimes act and behave aggressively, either physically or verbally. It was very difficult for me to keep them organized and focused when doing an activity such as gardening, or listening to particular music. Slight argument would almost result in a fight, while some would isolate themselves from others and even refuse to eat. This was very distressing and for the first time I wanted to quit but I had a second thought; I placed myself in their shoes, I tried to understand what they are going through and what they need more. I felt a strange urge to work with them selflessly so I tried to meet their needs by providing stimulation of what I felt they required, variety of activities that will eliminate boredom. I also decided to take a close interaction with some at the center in order to understand them more and so I can have some possible explanations for their aggression and weird behaviors. At first, I was puzzled by the thought of joining old people in the home. I have seen and met old people who are tenacious and intolerable, so working with them was a nightmare and in addition, no pay expected. But at some point and with the lesson on selfless serving therefore, I decided to soldier on. 

The day was thrilling with all the knowledge I would obtain while at the home. The interesting part was making the elderly interactive through stories; they shared their life experience. While playing chess with one grandpa, who was a former military and took part in the 2^nd World War, I learned about his experience and it was fascinating. He told me stories of their life in the war, how they fought using rifles. I felt sorry at one point about his experience but as I looked at the grandpa give the story enthusiastically and with a feeling of victory, I was motivated. He also showed me one of his colleagues in the military who was also in the same home, and they are still good friends. I met and intermingled a lot with the elderly men and women who have made a great impact in the society, and I was humbled. Professional teachers, retired CEO's, experienced business men and women among others in the home. This has also intrigued me to work and interact with them more and more since they gave life lessons that are not taught in the school. However, some feel they have been isolated and ignored by both their busy families and the government at large; some claiming that the homes are a riddance technique on them.

However, the experience does not require too much course skills or experience, and i can just do by writing a good report and doing my internship duties well. The exposure helps build spiritual and emotional part of life through the interaction with people from a different religion and others with different cultural beliefs. The lesson about Hindu Seva on selfless service has helped me in my new experience at the home.  It has helped me to build my discipline of action (Karma Yoga) and create a bond with the elderly at the home and help them create a bond among themselves. The seniors in the home, some sick, others from different religions, have been assisted equally by the nurses and other volunteers who I met in the home. The art of volunteering and not expecting compensation is a form of worship or pay homage to God through serving human beings. The experience was great, and it helped me change the stereotype of old people being stubborn and irritating, to them being fun to live with as long as you understand their condition. Hope to join them again and encourage others to get involved in Seva as a way of serving their Lord. Someone to do my nursing assignments is all I need.