Written Reflection 3- Cassadi Cordea

My most recent visit to Best Friends reminded me of why I like going there. Every time I go I leave with a new funny story or a heartwarming moment to talk about. My most recent visit happened to be my last, but I do think I will volunteer again in the future. I don't think this will happen until after the break though.
Today when I went it was a volunteer's birthday, so everyone was celebrating. We had cake and ice cream and sang happy birthday, some of the participants also demanded for more ice cream. Their demands were not met, but that was okay. The cake was really good and it was a nice perk being there for that. We also had a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, and Madilyne and I were asked to help one of the participants with his clues. The clue led us to the tv in the other room, but our friend quickly got tired and sat down so it was mostly Madilyne and I doing the scavenger hunt. We were fine with this because we were still having fun. Later on all of the participants wrote on a puzzle piece what they were thankful for and they put the pieces on a painting of a tree, like they were leaves. It was kind of sweet to hear all of the things they were thankful for. Some of them were specific people and others were simpler things like blue skies. I could tell that they all really liked that activity.

One of the CD's they listen to. I recognized this album very well. 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful and such, I am thankful that I got to volunteer here. It taught me a lot about putting the needs of others first. I am also thankful for the people I get to work with there. I've met some pretty interesting people there, but I can tell that they are really good at heart. They like to laugh, have fun, and find joy in the most simple things. Song-time is one of my favorite activities. Most of them know every song in the songbook and they seem to really enjoy singing as a group. The other volunteers there who have been going for a long time really love what they do and are such an important part of this place. I hope that the work that I've done has left a positive impact on the people there; they have certainly left a positive impact on me.

The bird cage at Best Friends. Some of the participants really love spending time here.

Written Reflection 3 - Kalee Fuller

As my weeks volunteering with the Best Friends Day Center have come to a close, I am able to reflect back on my experiences and see all that I have learned and accomplished. It has been such a pleasure to be able to work with such amazing participants, employees, and other volunteers over the semester.

One of the couple book shelves filled with all
types of books, historical to fictional.

When I was first assigned to the Best Friends group, I was both excited and nervous to work with people who had dementia. I was unsure of the “correct” way to help them and talk to them if there was one, and it was an unusual environment for me all together. After my first week volunteering at the day center, I was excited to go back the next week. We had fun singing with the participants and playing games during group time. It was much more relaxed and easy going than I had expected it to be. 

The weeks went on and I began to get more and more comfortable going to Best Friends and talking to the people there. Even though they may not always remember me, I remembered each of them and the different parts of their personality that would stand out during our group time—their sense of humor, the way they danced, or how loud they sang. 

The table filled with magazines and activities for the participants. 

One of my past few weeks was the first time that I had ever gotten to spend more one on one time with the patients there, and it was even more rewarding than the group time I had experienced before. It was also the first time that I had ever gotten to do any other activity besides singing the songs with the participants. Getting to have individual conversations with different people and learn more about them was awesome. They each have stories and love to share them with us. 

It was during this time that I realized how greatly this time spent at Best Friends has also impacted me, not just the people I have gotten the opportunity to work with. I have also realized how much I will miss going there every week and getting to see their faces when we walk through the door. Overall, it has been such a rewarding time for me and I am so happy I got the chance to participate. 

Written Reflection #3- Grant Guenther

Peggy's wonderful picture during coloring time (above).

My picture during coloring time (above).

     Written or Video Reflection #3
           On Friday the 13^th I went to Best Friends Daycare for my last required time. It was an eventful visit that certainly did not disappoint. I had not been to volunteer in three weeks before this final visit because I was way ahead on hours compared to the rest of my group, but I missed the experience dearly. Kalee and I went to Best Friends at 10:00 for this visit, making it a whole new atmosphere since it was in the morning rather than the usual afternoon. As soon as we walked into the building there were only 5 patients or so there but they immediately invited me to come color with them. Coloring took up close to an hour of time as we talked and colored. During this time, I really bonded with several patients I had not really talked to much before. Their names were Peggy and Martha. Both of which were very proper ladies who loved coloring. As I was coloring my flowers, it seemed as if I was having the same conversation over and over again. I would be coloring and Peggy would tell me that I am a great colorer, then she would proceed to ask me what other colors I would use. I had the same conversation close to 10 times and could really notice her dementia kicking in, but coloring was still a blast.

          Once coloring time was over, we went and stretched out a little as more and more patients began to flood into the daycare. During stretch-time I found really big heart shaped glasses and put them on which the patients got a kick out of because I looked silly. I loved this occurrence because it really emphasized how much I could  brighten their days. While I had my glasses on, Marie, my girlfriend, started chasing me around the room till she finally caught me and ended up giving me a hug and then pinching my side. Next was lunch where they had fish (since it was Friday and it is a Catholic based daycare), cole slaw, corn, a roll, and a brownie for desert. It really looked like a great meal. As we were eating, I was talking to several patients including Norman, Julie, and Peggy. And boy can Norman eat! He had two plate fulls of food.  It was a great meal.

Lunch time!

           As soon as we were done eating I helped put away the trash and clear off the plates when suddenly a new elderly women walked in; she was checking out the daycare with her daughter to see if she would like this place for herself. The daughter asked everyone how they liked it at Best Friends and everybody said they loved it. Paula then made the comment “If we didn’t like it we wouldn’t be here.” It was so great to see how much the patient like Best Friends. This was one of my favorite visits because there was more time for talking rather than games. It was great to experience the family atmosphere of Best Friends and I hope to go back even though it isn’t required of me anymore. I sure do love that place because I can give great times and receive amazing memories in the process. The people may have diseases hindering them, but they are still living their life to the fullest.

"Best Friends" even decorates for Holidays!

TED Talk Analysis- Cassadi Cordea

Jared Diamond believes the elderly population in America has greater value than they are being treated with. He gave his speech on the elderly in March of 2013 at TED2013. Jared Diamond, an aged individual himself, spoke about how we as a society treat our elderly population today and compares and contrasts that to traditional societies and even tribal societies. This is an issue that is very relevant to the Best Friends Day Center because it is a place for the elderly who aren't staying with their families anymore. He begins with asking who in the audience is 65 years or older or is close to someone who is, and this pretty much covers everyone in the room. The audience doesn’t know what to expect from Diamond, but they know it can be considered credible considering his age and experience. This topic was very relevant to the audience and they politely listened to Diamond. Although there were some light moments, this was not meant to be a funny speech. Diamond wanted to point out all of the things we are doing wrong with our older population.

Jared Diamond speaking at TED2013

Diamond decided to deliver his speech in a very simple way. He was very relaxed and kept his tone conversational and persuasive. It was easy to see that he was completely comfortable with his words. Being someone who is also older gave him more credibility. He did not have any visual aids on stage with him other than a podium and a typed copy of his speech, which he occasionally read from. His firsthand experience with this topic and his age made up for the lack of visual aids. Diamond also was able to effectively paint mental images with his words, so no part of his speech seemed lacking or confusing. If he had wanted to use visual aids in his speech, he could’ve provided more statistics or testimonies from people who are experiencing this problem firsthand.

Diamond’s first major point began with a compare and contrast segment. He explained the horrible treatment of the elderly in traditional and tribal societies that we in a modern society would not think to do. He then led into how those societies were good to their elderly. Traditional societies valued their elderly’s wisdom, while our modern society today seems to think that the elderly are not as valuable in that aspect. He also points out that in traditional society the elderly lead much richer social lives because they are not sent off to live alone somewhere with people they don’t know. Nursing homes isolate our elderly and socially inhibit them for the rest of their lives. Another point that promotes the value of the elderly today is that they are able to help the younger people with their lives. Their children grow up to have kids, and since more young women are working now and both parents now are more likely to have jobs, there is a need for babysitters. Grandparents are perfect for this role. Diamond states the obvious: most grandparents love their grandchildren and want to spend time with them, and they can also provide a nurturing environment that the children will learn and grow in.  

The elderly population will continue to grow to the highest it has ever been

To wrap up his speech, Diamond points out that there are more elderly people than ever, so this is a problem that cannot be ignored. He asks the audience to try and understand how we can learn from traditional society and apply it to ours. The elderly have value and to ignore their value is doing a disservice to society.

https://www.ted.com/talks/jared_diamond_how_societies_can_grow_old_better#t-5841

Analyzing a TED Talk - Kalee Fuller

Link to the TED Talk

When we were given the assignment to analyze a TED Talk, I was excited to see what was out there that had any relation to the Best Friends Center. I found a very interesting Talk by Samuel Cohen from June of this year called “Alzheimer’s is not normal aging—and we can cure it.” 

Cohen delivering his TED Talk.

Cohen began his TED Talk with a story about a woman who goes to the doctor with a brain issue, 114 years ago. As he explains the story, the audience finds out that the doctor was actually Dr. Alzheimer, and this was the first discovered case of Alzheimer’s. This was the only story that Cohen told through his TED Talk, yet he incorporated it throughout the entire thing, making sure to relate points back to it. Sometimes in the video, the cameramen would show the audience, everyone seeming so intrigued by what Cohen had to say, waiting for what he was going to inform them about next. 

While the story about the discovery of Alzheimer’s was interesting, Samuel Cohen went so much farther, explaining the effect that Alzheimer’s is having on the world today and the effect it can have in the future. Even though I’ve been working at Best Friends now for the entire semester, there was some much about the disease and the effect that it is having that I did not know. For example, the money spent on cancer research is five times greater than that spent on Alzheimer’s, yet the money spent on the care of people with Alzheimer’s is double the amount that is spent on cancer patients. Similarly, he mentions that of the top 10 death-causing diseases in this country, Alzheimer’s is the ONLY one that does not have something that has been created to stop it, control it, or at least slow it down. 

Cohen used this graphic to display the costs of
Alzheimer's research in comparison to cancer research.

So why are we as a country so unaware of Alzheimer’s, yet so aware of so many other diseases? Because awareness is not being raised. Cohen explains to audience that while the cancer patients and their families can be out promoting studies for their disease and raising awareness, people with Alzheimer’s cannot. And their families and loved ones are exhausted from the amount of care that the Alzheimer patient must receive. So, Cohen explains, that leaves the raising of awareness up to those who were listening to him; if a cure is not worked towards, Alzheimer’s is going to effect 1 in 2 people by the year 2050, when the generation of baby boomers has reached old age. 

Cohen stayed in this spot through his whole TED Talk. 

These jaw-dropping facts and realizations that Samuel Cohen delivers are very eye opening. Even though he stayed in the same position through his thoroughly effective 8 minute presentation and used very little hand gestures, the impact he had on his audience was huge. It was interesting to see that in Cohen’s situation it was more effective for him to deliver the hard facts and inform his audience than to really “paint a picture” for them, since the topic is so fact driven. Nevertheless, when he asks for the audience to help him raise awareness at the end of his TED Talk, I at least felt compelled to take some kind of action. 

After working in Best Friends and watching this TED Talk, I have found such an interest in Alzheimer’s and the research that is going into it. Working in the organization, I am seeing how it is directly effecting the patients and their families, so I am seeing how needed the additional support for the research is for them and their families. 

Written Reflection Three - Madilyne McDonald

              My time with Best Friends is coming to an end. The time I have spent at this facility has really affected my experience here at the University of Kentucky for the better. The participants have shown me many things. They have shown me that being happy is the most important thing in life. They have certainly showed me that you are never too old to be ornery or to bust a movie to a catchy song. Every time that I have visited the Best Friends Day Center I have laughed and I have learned something new. I also don’t think I have ever done a sing along every Friday afternoon before, but I find that I like them. The participants are always so grateful for any help that we can offer and really they just enjoy talking to us and telling us all about their business.

The birds in the main room also got to enjoy the music.

 

              This past Friday was a special day in that a man and a woman who offer their time once a month to come and put on a little concert for the Best Friends Day Center came while I was there. They sang everything from famous country songs to well-known hymns and they definitely got the participants dancing. After helping the performers carry in their supplies I visited with the residents while they set up, and then it was time to dance. They really went all out in their set up. They had a keyboard, and a guitar with speakers so that the sound was strong and clear in the main room. By the second song, over half of the people in the room were up and dancing. Since most of the participants need a little help with their balance, I got the privilege of dancing with several different people. Once again, they surprised me with their memorization of the songs and they belted them out and tapped their feet along with the music. Even the residents that normally don’t get involved with the activities were tapping out a beat and singing along. The performers were a huge success and after helping them pack up I got a chance to talk with one of the men that I haven’t had the chance to yet and I genuinely enjoyed speaking with him.

              One of the men that is normally quiet pulled me aside after the performers left and asked me if I would help him pick some flowers for his wife. He explained that he always liked to bring his wife flowers because that was the way to a woman’s heart. I thought it was wonderful and touching that he wanted to get something for his wife so with the permission of the directors I helped him gather some flowers from other vases around the building. He was very pleased with the resulting bouquet and kept saying how happy his wife would be when he gave it to her. I wished that I could have been there when he did, and I can only hope that I find someone who will always want to do small things like that for me, no matter what is going on in our lives. I look forward to my last visit with the residents this Friday and I will truly miss them and all the entertainment they have brought to my life these last several weeks.

The facility that Best Friends is a part of.