Adopt-A-Grandparent

This semester I had the opportunity to be a part of the Service Activities Program on campus.  I was the manager of the Adopt-A-Grandparent and it was seriously a blast.  Every week we got to go to assisted living homes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  The place that we go to on Tuesdays had a lot less people at it and so I got to know all of them really well.  On Thursdays we went to a much larger place and I only got to know a few of them.  

This is a group picture we took the last day at the home we go to on Tuesdays.  The lady not looking at the camera in the red chair is named Sally.  But everyone calls her Sissy so we've never actually called her Sally.  She has dementia and really has no idea what is going on or anything about her life.  She can remember some things but not much.  She is one of my favorite people to talk to when I go because she is so agreeable with anything anyone says.  She is always so happy and excited to have us come and claps her hands when we walk in the door.  She is always very sad when we leave, but perks right up when we tell her we will be back next week.  When we come next week her response is always: "Oh what a pleasant surprise!  I wasn't expecting you!"  

The lady sitting next to me is named Ludine.  She is as sharp as a tack and never misses a beat.  She is roommates with Sissy so it is funny to see Sissy who has no idea what is going on interact with Ludine because Ludine knows that Sissy is crazy.  She often says things like "You're crazy", "Who let you out of the looney bin?", "She must have overdosed on her crazy pills today", and "You have no idea where you are or what you're doing do you...GOLLY!" She has had a really rough life, but she stays positive.  She and Sissy are my favorite people to talk to.  

From left to right:  Albert, Kate, Helen, and Maddie.

I didn't get to know Albert all that well, but he is very friendly and can't hear a thing.  Helen is so sweet.  She has some memory loss and has to be reminded about a lot of things.  Her and Albert are "dating" as she likes to put it...aka they hold hands all the time.  She and Wyoma (who I will talk about later) always sit next to each other and while we visit with them they realize that they are both members of the church, both have been married, both have lived in Idaho for parts of their lives, and both like California...every, single, time.  Love it!

This is Wyoma.  She remembers a lot about her life and has a lot of stories but has short term memory loss which is why she can never remember anything about Helen until they talk about it again.  She is from Wyoming and tells us every time she is Wyoma from Wyoming and thinks it is pretty much the best joke in the world.  She will ask you 9 different times what your name is and where you are from in one visit, but she has a good heart and some good stories to tell. 

This is Evan.  He likes to write stories and make up riddles that don't make sense.  He also knows about every hymn in the hymnbook (no exaggeration) by heart on the piano and plays them for us when we come.  He has no sense of timing though, but that makes it fun to sing along to haha.  He gave us a copy of one of his stories, but I can't seem to find it.  It was pretty much like a Mother Goose rhyme.  

Maddie, Helen, and Kate

Maddie and Albert

I'm not sure of this woman's name, she just started living there towards the end of the semester.  

This is a better picture of Sissy.  She is wonderful.  

She also loved getting her nails done

Albert and Becca

Helen

Cat, Helen, and Wyoma

Maddie, Helen, Wyoma, and Me

Evan

The home

This is at a service fair we did to get people to come to Adopt A Grandparent.  We made the UP house and even had balloons.  I thought it was pretty impressive :) 

We also got one of our friends to dress up as Mr. Fredrickson to come to the booth.  It was a great success :) 

The balloons.  

Overall, I loved doing it this semester! So this next semester I am moving up in the ranks and will be coordinator over the program and I will have eight managers under me.  It will definitely be a lot of work (about 10-15 extra hours a week) for me, but service is always good, and I would rather be busy than bored.  PLUS I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!