Those of us fortunate enough to live at Kendal have many things to be thankful for every day. Celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday last week made me think more about what it is that I have to be grateful for, For one thing there's the security of knowing that they will take care of me through all of the stages of care which I may need. That's the benefit of having chosen a continuing care community and not just an assisted living one where I would need to move to another institution if I needed skilled nursing.
I know that Kendal has led the way in freeing patients from restraint and as a retired nurse who once taught geriatric nursing I know how important that is. They have worked to eliminate not only physical restraints but also chemical restraints. Freeing patients from restraints makes for much more humane treatment and also recognizes the dignity of each being. It means a lot to know I won't find myself tied to a chair and forgotten.
Also, as a retired nursing education administrator I know what the accreditation of schools of nursing has done to improve the quality of nursing education. Thus I appreciate the efforts that Kendal Corporation has put into working towards the improvement of the care of the aging through accreditation which sets standards for care. I've lived long enough to see the results of these efforts. Knowing that Kendal strives to go beyond high standards of caring means I have a lot less stress in my life.
Another thing I appreciate here at Kendal at Granville is not only the big things that make our life easier but the little things that occur. For example last Friday, I didn't sign up for the bus trip provided for those of us who don't drive and have errands we need to make. When I asked Amy, our facilities secretary if the bus was going to run, she said, "No one signed up." When she learned that two of us had something we needed to take care of, she arranged for a driver to take us.
This morning I needed to find out about the results of a lab test for which the blood was drawn last week in anticipation of a followup visit to my endocrinologist. I had received a copy of part of the results, but part were missing. I needed to know if it was missing because it wasn't done or I just didn't get a copy of it. I called the wellness clinic and told Marie my story explaining that if it hadn't been done I would need to make arrangements to get it done. By lunchtime she had tracked down the report which had been done but no copy sent. She had a copy for me by the time I finished lunch.
It's these kinds of response to needs that make life more pleasant here and makes me be thankful for my life at Kendal every day not just on Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Helping the Young to Read
Again this fall several Kendal residents traveled to the Newark Public Library to appear before groups of second-graders as volunteers in Call to College, a program designed to foster a love of reading in the kids, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged homes. Our participation last year seemed to have been constructive – and that was certainly the judgment of those who manage the program and who invited us back. Moreover, everyone at the Kendal end got a big kick out of it, with lovely, amusing, and startling stories to share. And so, when we were invited to step up again in 2012, there was no trouble finding interested volunteers. No surprise there: a community of seniors has a full complement of persons who want to be useful to the world they live in. That's why Kendal offers many sorts of opportunities for community volunteering. But this is the one I know most about, and so it's the one I'll comment on.
First, let me introduce our volunteers: Dave Skeen, Harriett Stone, Jack Condon, and Ted Barclay. (That's a smaller number than last year only because the public library asked that some slots be reserved for their own personnel.) The volunteers' assignment was to talk about their lives with groups of seven-year-olds at the Newark Public Library, focusing on how their lifelong engagement with books had made their careers possible. The school kids arrived with questions prepared, and they were of course bubbling with the excitement that comes from the feeling of novelty and freedom that is triggered by any school field trip.
The quartet of volunteers brought an array of life experiences to these conversations – from reflections on induction into the armed forces to thoughts about the challenges of managing a small business. Within their ranks the cast of volunteers provided administrators, a swimming coach, a psychologist, and a physician.
The residents reported having had a great time, and by all accounts the school kids had a blast. The lesson driven home again and again – and not all that subtly – was that an ability to read opened doors, brought all sorts of joy, made navigating the world far easier, and was a prerequisite to a successful, happy life.
In thinking over what they may have contributed, last years' volunteers sometimes wondered whether these moments of engagement were really too brief to make much of a difference in the lives of children. While it's hard to be confident that there will be a payoff for all the kids, it's easy to believe that Kendal's participation may be affecting the lives of some proportion of them. Much depends on the reinforcing effect of the various follow-ups that the Call to College program has, on family support of course, and on sheer luck. But without the Kendal contribution the odds against many of these children would be even longer. That's the hope that energizes the volunteers who live in our midst.
First, let me introduce our volunteers: Dave Skeen, Harriett Stone, Jack Condon, and Ted Barclay. (That's a smaller number than last year only because the public library asked that some slots be reserved for their own personnel.) The volunteers' assignment was to talk about their lives with groups of seven-year-olds at the Newark Public Library, focusing on how their lifelong engagement with books had made their careers possible. The school kids arrived with questions prepared, and they were of course bubbling with the excitement that comes from the feeling of novelty and freedom that is triggered by any school field trip.
The quartet of volunteers brought an array of life experiences to these conversations – from reflections on induction into the armed forces to thoughts about the challenges of managing a small business. Within their ranks the cast of volunteers provided administrators, a swimming coach, a psychologist, and a physician.
The residents reported having had a great time, and by all accounts the school kids had a blast. The lesson driven home again and again – and not all that subtly – was that an ability to read opened doors, brought all sorts of joy, made navigating the world far easier, and was a prerequisite to a successful, happy life.
In thinking over what they may have contributed, last years' volunteers sometimes wondered whether these moments of engagement were really too brief to make much of a difference in the lives of children. While it's hard to be confident that there will be a payoff for all the kids, it's easy to believe that Kendal's participation may be affecting the lives of some proportion of them. Much depends on the reinforcing effect of the various follow-ups that the Call to College program has, on family support of course, and on sheer luck. But without the Kendal contribution the odds against many of these children would be even longer. That's the hope that energizes the volunteers who live in our midst.
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