Alzheimer's Volunteer Experience

When I first started this volunteer experience, I wasn't too excited because I felt like it was more work on top of an already challenging class. However, it ended up being more of an experience I was looking forward to every week instead of a chore. My main goal in this project was just to learn more about Alzheimer's first hand by helping out doing activites with the residents. I also work at this place, but I'm a cook so I really don't get much experience or interaction with the residents besides feeding them. What I really loved about the volunteering was residents actually remembered me. Most or just about all of these people are in the late Alzheimer's stage, so they don't remember what they did yesterday and they are basically stuck in the past. One of the caregivers actually told me something interesting, she told me that when an Alzheimer's patient looks in the mirror, they don't even recognize theirself. They think that person is their mother or father since they look so old. So going in once or twice every week to do activites really helped the residents remember me, which made us both feel more comfortable.
I'm naturally more of a shy person, and this experience really made me come out of my shell. With older people, it is really hard to communicate since most are losing their hearing. I learned that I need to talk in a low voice close to their ears and they would be more likely to hear me. I also learned that these people can be a lot of fun. They are honestly like playing with toddlers. I really enjoyed playing bingo with them, and I was so surprised with how well they did. They actually played and knew what they were doing, and they had a lot of fun and so did I.
One of the greatest things I got from this experience was to step back and value life. When I went in different residents rooms, they had pictures of their husband/wife, family, friends and themselves. It was so hard to think that these people actually had a life before this disease stole their minds. I really cherish my own grandparents now, who are having problems of their own, but nothing compared to these people. It is so sad and hard to describe what these people are going through. I really hope that they don't remember or really know what's going on right now so they can always remember the good days. The first time I went into this home I was shocked with how bad Alzheimer's can really be. It steals their life away, making them helpless human beings. There are a few residents who tell us they just want to die, and we can't just say oh you'll get better, because they won't. Once they enter this home there is basically one way out, and that is death. Death was another hard thing I had to deal with, and I shed a few tears when one of the resident's died last week. But then I can think that hopefully they are better off now in a better place.
Alzheimer's is a terrible disease, and I'm glad I got to study it. I really hope there is a cure someday soon, I dont know if I could handle seeing my own family go through this. This project has helped me discover that I love working with the elderly, so hopefully in the future I can pursue a career or another kind of experience working with them. For now, I can just give the advice to really enjoy life because you never know what will happen in the future!