All of us have grandparents. You might have been born with grandparents, or found people along the way that took that place in your life. I was lucky enough to have four grandparents.
I called my Mom's parents Nanny and Pa, and my Dad's parents Mi and Di (at least I didn't call him Pi). Di died when I was eleven months old. He had been suffering with esophageal cancer for the past six years, undergoing various types of treatment. Mi passed next when I was seven. She had been in and out of the nursing home for a couple of years. At one interval when she was home she broke her hip. She did not know any of her family, and seldom knew where she was. Nanny died next, in the nursing home, where she had been for about a year. Pa followed, again in a nursing home, with cancer and a feeding tube.
Why am I telling you this? Every time I went to the nursing home I was heartbroken at the fact that the residents there were always happy to see me, but not just me, anybody who could break the routine of nurses and the sounds of the medical machines. When I was about 17 I started volunteering at an assisted living, where many residents were happy, but not all. One gentleman had suffered with depression for a very long time, and I was told by the staff that my chats with him helped him get through the day.
When my grandparents were at the nursing home I would play bingo when the nurses held games for the residents. The residents in nursing homes and assisted living homes are forgotten about. The families visit as often as they can, but when the family has many other priorities- work, children, and a spouse, it can become very difficult. While all of my grandparents have passed, I still go to the assisted living and nursing homes.
I read to the residents, and still play bingo. As a college student, it can be difficult to make the time. But I have found that the people in these facilities are just that- people. I have learned so much from them- patience, wisdom, and strength. They have taught me things that I could have never learned from a textbook. In college, I think a lot of weight is put on joining clubs and greek organizations. Far too much, because while many students volunteer at various organizations, very few are volunteering at an assisted living or a nursing home. We need to start thinking about our aging population, and what we can do to brighten their day.
