I interned at The Residence at Silver Square in Dover, NH. I was the Resident Engagement Intern and I worked closely with the Resident Engagement Director. Everyday I had the privilege of working with the residents making sure they were up and doing things within our community. I did things such as leading walking group, doing group trivia, and helping organize events.
This experience was extremely important to both me and the residents. They relied on me to keep them occupied during the day, and I loved doing it. I got to personally know a lot of the residents and build relationships with them. I was very rewarding for me to hear each of their stories. I made a difference in their daily lives because they knew that I genuinely cared about each and every one of them. I was always checking in on them if I hadn’t seen someone all day, and I listened to the things they had to say which was important for them.
There were a few things I learned through my time at Penn State that really helped me excel here at the Residence at Silver Square. The things I learned about dementia from a few different classes helped me to understand some of the reasons my residents would do things. For example, if they would repeat things or if they would get upset over change, most of the time it was due to some form of dementia. I also learned in my counseling class about how to properly listen to people and respond appropriately, without judgement or trying to sway them in any way. This was especially helpful when my residents would come talk to me about things in the community and also just generally about their life. It made me feel good that they felt I was someone they could confide in. These classes have really helped me during my internship semester.
This experience helped me learn hands-on about growing old, both physically and mentally, and dementia in general. I plan on going to graduate school for occupational therapy and there were a few things through this internship that helped me prepare. For example, every morning we would have an exercise class, it was seated so that everyone could participate, and I got to see different ways to stretch and exercise even if you have a physical ailment. I also learned a lot about keeping the mind active during older adulthood. Through my cognitive activities such as group crosswords or group trivia, I got to keep the residents cognitively engaged. These experiences will benefit me when I go to graduate school and then move on to my career in occupational therapy.
Graduation Day
This is me taking photos in Beaver Stadium.
Surprise party!
The Residents threw me a surprise graduation party on my last day as an intern.
Weekly yoga session
This is me and some of my residents doing yoga, we have this class every Thursday morning.