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Farmgirl Chapter Chatter:  Visiting the Elderly  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 22 2007 : 7:03:47 PM
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Do any of you farmgirls, whether individually or as Farmgirl Chapters go and visit the elderly?
It always breaks my heart to think of the elderly that get warehoused in homes, with no one visiting them. I take my dog Sky and try and visit the homes in my area. I haven't done it as much as I like, but I want to start doing it more. I think I would do it more if I had company to go along with me as well.
What do you ladies think? Something you would consider doing with your farmgirl chapters?
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2007 : 7:49:34 PM
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I have gone with youth from church and with cubscouts..I think it is a wonderful idea to go with a farmgirl chapter. We have an assisted living center in the next town and they just love to be visited.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Kathie
True Blue Farmgirl
2436 Posts
Kathie
Thonotosassa
Florida
USA
2436 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 05:58:17 AM
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I have Volunteered for years at the Va Hospital near me..
& when i went i said i want to work specificaly in the nursing home area..
As these are people that are there all the time.. Not just in & out.. they can actually live there.. or be there for recoving type issues.. So they are there for extended lengths of time.. and are not necessarily elderly folks either.. But Verterans that are possibly now terminally ill.. or recovery from a serious illnes or injury..
When i go i have a bag that i take that i keep a couple books.. a couple large print Readers Digest.. a deck of cards.. a checker board & a set of checker & chess pieces.. a couple pens..& paper.. I keep envelopes & stamps with me & I always have a set of colored pencils & Crayons & a coloring book.. & scissors & glue..
Some of these things are there at the hospital..
I don't like to go to actually DO things.. I like to go to VISIT!!
So i found that if i keep these things with me.. I have given them an opportunity to do something that they may not have been able to have done in a long time.. or with someone else in a long time!
Sometimes they want to be read to.. help write a letter.. or just talk.. alot of times they want to beat me at chess or checkers..
Cards are always fun..
But i found it was funny how much of a kick they get out of coloring & drawing..
I even trim their hair or give them a shave if they ask me to.. This they can have done there too.. but I think they like to feel as if I am some one from home that came to see them to do this for them..
Of course I have my favorites.. & ones that i get attached to..
& just like my own family & Grandparents.. It's so hard to loose them..
But I know my being there makes a huge diffrence in their lives..
& I think they know they make a diffrence in mine too..
I can't tell you how many of them aske me at then end of my stay if i had a nice visit..
Usually after we traded pictures out of the coloring book..
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 09:47:55 AM
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| My mom is in a home and what she really loves to do is go through the coupons that come in the Sunday paper. Her caretaker has a folder that she keeps them in and Mom just goes through them, and looks at them and sorts (?) them for hours. You might consider taking a few sheets of those. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 10:03:01 AM
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Kathie-
You are so sweet! How do you find the time to do all that you do! Do you ever sleep?!
Thanks for all the great ideas on thinks to bring Kathie and Sherri! I will have to fill Sky's doggie backpack nextime!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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PlumCreekMama
True Blue Farmgirl
730 Posts
Heather
Iowa
USA
730 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2007 : 6:57:07 PM
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| I used to work in a nursing home before I became a sahm. On paydays I would always bring one of my dogs. They loved it! My dear departed Sukey was the best at it. She would sit in anyone's lap! I have only visited grandparents and grandparents-in-law since, though. The people with forms of dementia are the ones who usually don't get visited much, because a lot of families have a hard time dealing or whatever. They are the ones that respond the best to pets, I've found. One time someone brought in a horse. Right in the nursing home! I don't think my horses would act very good, but I have a goat that would love it! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2007 : 8:13:54 PM
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That is awesome Heather! What a great idea! I have heard of barnyard animals being trained to come and visit. A lot of elderly people that are from rural backgrounds seem to get a kick out of it.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
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Cheryl
True Blue Farmgirl
919 Posts
Cheryl
Magalia
CA
USA
919 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2007 : 10:08:18 PM
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Where I work a lady brings in her dog once a week to visit with the cancer patients that are getting chemotherapy. It is a nice diversion for them.
Cheryl
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2007 : 10:34:19 PM
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It's really great for the pets as well. Sky always seems to know if someone is not feeling well or is frail and she is so delicate. She amazes me!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2007 : 12:16:18 AM
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Pook, my goofy little lapdog would adore visiting. He is such a ball of wiggles and cuddles. It would give me an excuse to bathe and brush him all fluffy, which he hates.
Another thought I've had is every time I go dump off the recycling and see all of the magazines, I think that it would be nice if people asked if it would be ok to give them to the elderly to look through first and offered to take the unwanted ones back down to recycle. I've been hospitalized for long periods in my life and endless boredom is a quick step towards depression.
I can't drive, so I'd need a partner in "Crime" in my area, but if people asked at the various retirement homes and rest homes and hospitals, before they recycled things, I bet a lot of the elderly folk would enjoy the diversion if it was okayed. I have several large moving boxes full of all genres of paperback fiction, and I'm going to ask around and see if I can donate some of them. Getting old happens, just part of the cycle of things. Giving something back to those that came before us is gracious and humane. I hate thinking of all of the forgotten lonely people. It breaks my heart.
I have a confession,I dive through the recycling bin of magazines sometimes when I'm looking for free eye candy, but I worry about how sanitary that is for older folk with less hardy immune systems. So maybe if a chapter or group of girls all donated magazines and books once a month and took them around to the older folks, it would be a lot of fun.
I'm nattering, LOL! I think it's past my bedtime.
Annika |
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Farmgirl Chapter Chatter: Visiting the Elderly |
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Visiting the Elderly
