Have you ever wondered what the elderly do in retirement homes? Well, Mrs. Softic’s volunteering team meets every Saturday morning. In this volunteering, the team spends their time with elderly people, playing games and learning about their pasts.
Today we make it our mission to show you that life in retirement homes isn’t as bad as it may seem and is maybe really a second chance.
Author: Camila
A second chance.
Retirement homes are often seen as the moment your life ‘stops,’ but is it really what happens?
With my friends and volunteering partners, we spent a few Saturdays there, opening our eyes to what really happens. What we found wasn’t exactly what we thought.
The elderly staying there willingly opened to us, sharing their experiences and lives, and slowly we noticed that most of them were happy, happy to live there, not because they were looked after, although we must admit some could be, but because they had new chances, new hopes, new friendships, and maybe their lives didn’t stop there, but a new chapter began.
Research held by AARP proves that 152 to 172 out of 200 elders would likely report being happy. And in the case of retirement homes, 70% out of 200 are viewed as ‘happy’. This ‘point’ that we are trying to reach is to prove that, unlike most young people say,
“I would never go to retirement homes, I’d feel stuck.”
Elders in retirement homes are actually happy, and while a lot of people think it is a question of ‘do i want to go?’ or ‘do i have the choice?’ Instead, it is a question of ‘can I still be independent at a certain age?’ And there is no true answer to that, studies vary, and you always will have a choice in your life. Yet people aren’t the same, and you can never tell in advance if you will or will not go to a retirement home.
The games: discover the elder minds.
During our visits at the retirement home, we spent time playing games and chatting with the elders. Although some may have been slower due to mental and/or physical conditions, we realized most of them were actively laughing, smiling, and competing in these social and mental games.
And maybe we should recognize that elders aren’t some slow-minded, aged persons, but actually strong witted, smart, and funny people. Even though they don’t talk or move as much as they used to in their youth, they still have their minds, and trust me, these elders weren’t anything of what we expected, and in reality, they made us laugh more times than we could count.
Expectations for elderly people.
In the end, the expectations and standards we give these elder people make them act like so, and in reality, they are amazing, funny, and interesting people. Of course, as an elder woman I met at the retirement house said,
‘We are not what we used to be anymore.’
These people aren’t as fresh and energetic as they used to be, yet she was eager while we played, competitive, smart and eagerly taking part in the games.
“I am only here to look out after my husband, although it’s very nice to talk to new people”
This is what a kind elderly woman told me, it made me realize that these retirement homes give a chance of friendship, hope and care to the elders, also making them keep in touch with the world, from ICT classes to long, calming walks. To work on themselves and appreciate the moments they have.
In their daily lives, elder people face a lot of tension, most of them aren’t capable of being independent, which sometimes provokes depressions, while a lot of them are ongoing and positive in their manners. The other parts are slow, mostly because of physical and mental blockage. A lot of them have made sacrifices in life and have lived a thorough history to share, yet we, as a community, don’t take time to appreciate their stories and learn about their own experiences, but that can improve, it can be changed with a small walk outside, a game of cards, or even just sharing stories.
But this is not only to be done with retired elderly people but also with your own family, with your own grandparents. Take some time for them and appreciate their company, because most believe for a fact that most grandparents love their grandchildren, and that all they want is to spend some time with them.
In the end, maybe all that we’re trying to tell you is that retirement homes are fun if you give it your all. Volunteering gives you a fresh experience and a chance to open your mind to new lives and situations. It also makes you understand how important it is to appreciate every moment of life.
This article is here to help young people to open their eyes to what they have in front of themselves; it is not only to show that happiness can be found in retirement homes but also to tell the young generations that their grandparents only wish for a call or a small text once a day.
So take this as a sign and make sure to spend time with your grandparents if you can, give them a call, and don’t start making ideal standards for the elders. Don’t brush them aside as ‘incompetent’, but rather take notes from them and help them feel somehow young again, help them be happy and not stuck in sadness and dependence, make them feel like they can do stuff alone again. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or false, or if they can or not. Because they will learn from you as much as you will learn from them.
Cover image: pixabay
Edited by: Kajetan Jankowski
