Service – End of Season 2 #LO7

Season 2 during service was similar to season one however we mainly focused on participating in activities with the residents at the lodge rather than designing new games. One of the highlights for this season was the Chinese New Year celebrations we took part in during our final visit to the lodge in February. We were able to enjoy singing some traditional Chinese songs with the residents which allowed us to embrace the Chinese culture. It was enjoyable to see the residents at the lodge having fun and also enjoying music that is close to home for many of them. This activity taught us to respect the culture at the same time as we sang these songs with the persons with dementia. For me, this experience encouraged me to better improve my Chinese language skills, especially in reading but also regarding my vocabulary and also my pronunciation.

Through the sessions during season 2, it was sometimes difficult to always partner with my paired resident as she would often play mahjong with the other residents at the lodge. From this, I learned to adapt and work with other residents who were available, and gradually began to understand them better – learning about their history, their interests and so on. There was one session that stood out to me, when a younger resident approached me and began to talk to me. We then enjoyed some colouring in together and I recall the shock after being told her story by one of the workers at the lodge – as she had developed dementia at such a young age. This was an eye opener for me, seeing the stereotypical image of what dementia looked like to me, even after spending many hours with people with this condition.

 

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