For this weeks passion blog, I am going to speak to issues that I find personal to me. I believe the nursing home system in America can be disheartening, as I had spent my last summer working in a nursing home as an activities director. Working so closely with those who live in these homes, I began to recognize the issues that are ignored within society, yet, they may not be as prominent as other societal issues. 

As an activities director, my job was to entertain the residents through games, scheduled concerts and trips, and also doing 1-on-1’s with the residents to check in on how they were doing. Through these events, I got to know each person rather well. I enjoyed my job very much, but what I came to recognize rather quickly was the declining state of mental health within the residents. With each 1-on-1 visit, the residents began to open up to me about how they were feeling. Many felt as though their families thought of them as a burden, as they didn’t want to care for them anymore. Of course, I am sure this wasn’t the case, as each family wanted the best for their relative and wanted them to receive the best care possible for their health. Yet, many residents felt like their families would never visit or come to check in on them. These thoughts created all sorts of challenges for me on how to help the residents feel better.

Many residents struggled with the cost of their living space, the smaller living arrangements, living among other residents, the lack of freedom, boredom and isolation, and the discouragement of making their own decisions. With these issues, it made it difficult for residents to believe that they “haven’t been left behind.” This created a sense of grief among the residents. 

Just this past week, I received a letter from one of the residents I used to care for. Within the letter, she spoke about how the nursing home community was doing, how her family was doing, and how she missed playing cribbage with me. She spoke about how the little things I would do with her would improve her mood. Reading her letter warmed my heart to know that I had helped her feel more comfortable within her living space. 

So, I hope the takeaway from this blog is that you feel an obligation to help others to improve their moods if you recognize any disheartening signs. Whether it be a friend, a relative, or a stranger, I hope this has encouraged you to take the time to do something little that you think would make others feel better. I also hope you reach out to your grandparents more, because they love you very much!