Monday, October 12th, I completed service hours at the nursing home. I had the opportunity to take elderly residents for walks. I took 2 different residents for thirty minute walks. The two women I walked with were Rosalee and Marilyn. I walked them each around the walking track one time. We had plenty of conversations on our walks, too. The only thing that could have gone differently was if I had worn different shoes. Wearing flip flops made taking wheelchairs up hills extremely difficult. I should have been sure to wear shoes with better grip. The other thing I could have done was wear clothes that were not so hot. The weather was a lot nicer than I anticipated, so I became warm when I was walking the residents. By taking the residents …show more content…
Marilyn and Rosalee were able to be exposed to fresh air and sunlight. When they are stuck in an indoor facility all day, they don’t get to see the sun or get fresh air. Many studies have proven that spending time outdoors boosts one’s resilience to physical illness. The ladies were able to receive vitamin D by being outside. Marilyn and Rosalee’s mental health were helped during our walks. When these elderly patients are in a facility with hundreds of other patients, they don’t always get to visit with anyone on a one to one basis. Sometimes, it’s tough on the elderly not to get any mental stimulation and their minds start to deteriorate. I believe that even just thirty minutes made a difference in their health. I simply made Rosalee and Marilyn happy by taking them for a walk. I learned a lot about their lives and we even had some laughs during our walks! I feel that they were happy to have someone to talk to and that took the time to listen to them! They also enjoyed being able to go outside. They received time out of the nursing home for awhile, which they specifically told me made them happy! The residents are inside most days for 24 hours and I’m sure that they get bored and annoyed by the same people everyday. Going