Month: April 2016

Year in Review

 

It’s hard to believe that in a few weeks, I will be a junior in college. At the beginning of freshman year, I felt a little lost and overwhelmed by everything – this huge university, being away from home, and so many new people. Now though, I feel like I’ve found my circle, so to speak. I live with two girls that I met through Health Sciences Scholars, and because of the clubs I am involved in I feel like the university is much smaller. However, I am reminded of its size every time I walk across the Oval or go to a football game. I see people that I know all the time around campus, and I feel at home as I walk to and from class. My first two years have been great, and I feel like I have utilized so many different opportunities through being a Health Sciences Scholar. I’ve had dinner with important faculty, met some great friends, and I know I can always go to Jessica or Jena if I ever need advice. I’ve done so many fun things, too. Time has gone so fast, and I simultaneously want it to slow down and go faster. I was not sure what to expect for my first two years of college, but I can be sure that all the things I’ve done have surpassed them. For the rest of my OSU experience, I want to continue to utilize my opportunities and resources. I hope to get a job at one of the hospitals this summer, and continue my classes toward being a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

Major Service Project

www.olentangytrail.com

Project Title: Helping Others Live with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Service Site Name: The Inn at Olentangy Trail; Walk to End Alzheimer’s 2015; household of Gene Ebersole

During the second semester of my freshman year, I joined a brand new club called Buckeyes Against Alzheimer’s. At one point in time, the president who created the club had a grandmother who used to live in the Memory Care ward of The Inn at Olentangy Trail, or what we simply call, The Inn. This club hit home for me, as my grandmother was in her own fight with Alzheimer’s and my grandfather was struggling with dementia as well. The club really started gaining ground in the Fall of this year. We have meetings about twice a month and discuss advocacy, opportunities for outreach, and bring in speakers to teach us about their research. As members of the club, we carpool to the Inn on Sundays and spend time with the residents for a few hours. The first time I went, I was in awe. This nursing home is the nicest facility I have ever seen, the caretakers really care for the residents, and I loved spending time with the residents. I know their families cannot always take the time to see them, and I think it’s extremely important for them to talk about what they do still remember, or sit in the presence of someone who cares. We played games with them like Bingo and Pictionary, helped serve and feed lunch, bake cupcakes, and on one occasion we sang “America the Beautiful” multiple times. When I joined this club, I knew I would be helping those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, but I had no idea how much they would help me.

Overall, this experience taught me compassion and patience on a level deeper than I had ever known. Every person is in their own unique situation and that must be respected. Some residents thought I was their daughter, and I learned how to deal with that. Others were slightly more agitated, and I helped the nurse’s aids in any way I could to diffuse tension and make everyone as comfortable as possible. Usually, residents did not remember us from week to week, which was sad, but seeing their eyes light up when they saw they had visitors made it worth it. They were so happy, even though their memories and bodies betrayed them as they ailed. It put my own life in perspective. This past August, I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s disease, and it was extremely difficult to walk back in and see people traveling down that same path. In the end though, the residents helped me through my own grief. A lot of the women remind me of my sweet, graceful grandmother.

As a result of this service project, I’ve helped advocate for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. I participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and got people to sign postcards to send to Congress asking for funding for research. I’ve helped stimulate the minds of patients living with this; they play games and talk with me instead of sit in front of a television for hours on end. As I’ve attended lectures about Alzheimer’s research, I can now help educate the public. Because of this entire experience, I will now be a more understanding and knowledgeable health care provider as people live longer lives.

I’ve had immeasurable positive experiences throughout this project, but one that stands out is my talk with a resident of the Inn who went to Harvard University. That, by itself, is amazing, but to do it during that time in history is even more impressive to me. Many of the elderly there, especially women, did not attend college. She told me that she met her husband there, and although I could not understand everything she said, I could tell she was happy just talking about it. She was a kind woman, and she was recently moved to the total-assistance side of the Inn because she could no longer feed herself. It served to remind me that Alzheimer’s does not discriminate. Even this woman, with the intelligent mind she once had, has been affected.

Because of this service experience, I am more understanding, patient, and willing to advocate for a cause I feel strongly about.

G.O.A.L.S. – Original Inquiry

I attended an informational lecture about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by Dr. Douglas Scharre on October 29, 2016, hosted by the Buckeyes Against Alzheimer’s club. This meeting was extremely enlightening and I was honored to be in the presence of such an important figure in Alzheimer’s disease research. Because of this lecture I will make sure my parents take his test that he developed to test for Alzheimer’s, the SAGE test.