Communicating

Yesterday a co-worker and I were invited to the volunteer luncheon held by our local nursing home. She and I have been hanging out at the facility twice a month since last October. We are officially the Sharing and Caring Club. All we do is allow a small group of residents to communicate with us. We talk about the past, the present and yes even the future. Just because they are residents of a nursing home does not mean they have stopped thinking.

The luncheon we attended yesterday was an annual event to thank all the volunteers associated with the facility. As the activity director stated she couldn't do her job without volunteers.

I found it interesting that I knew about half the people who filled the dinning room because of previous community volunteering I have done over the years. My co-worker chose to sit at a table with people she knew, but I had the opportunity to sit with someone I wanted to get to know better. I have talked to Thelma off and on during our visits, but we had never had the time to just sit and communicate.

I discovered she has lived in the area for over forty years and was for many years the director of nurses at  Cibola General Hospital. She and her husband of six years traveled for the first four years of their marriage, then it was necessary to admit him to Grants Good Samaritan Center due to Alzheimer's. Thelma became a regular volunteer at the facility and has been there ever since. We had a lot to talk about as my mother-in-law was also a victim of that disorder. Thelma is a wonderful lady and I am happy I had an opportunity to get to know her better.

The food we were served was excellent, especially the much too large piece of German chocolate cake for dessert. At the end of the meal guests were all given a very cool tote bag with the words, "Volunteers making a difference in the lives of others". The invited guests also got to choose a wrapped door prize. Mine was a water bottle with "thanks for all you do" written on it.

My co-worker and I left full and very happy with the knowledge that we are going to keep on doing what we are doing, because we know that communication is a big part of keeping the residents healthy.