Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 37

Monday, 16 April 2012
Hours: 11:00 – 3:00
Total Earned: 180.0

Day Thirty-seven at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

This is my last day with my Alzheimer’s clients.  Wow!  My time here has sure gone by fast.  I can’t believe today is it.  It’s sort of a bittersweet day.  I am glad that my Field Experience has come to an end.  That just means I am getting ready to graduate.  Glad to finally be done with school!  I have been learning for the past five years.  It is now time for Linda to have time for herself.   At least four days of the week.  Remember, I did get a job.  However, I will miss my Alzheimer’s clients.  Each one of them has a special place in my heart.  I pray every day for each one of them and their caregivers.  It really does take a special person to work with Alzheimer’s clients.  I really feel for their caregivers.  I see what myself and the rest of the staff have to do daily with their loved ones.  Now can you imagine being a caregiver and having to do this 7-days a week, 24-hours a day?

Also, today we took our clients outside for a picnic.  The backyard is finally done.  The concrete sidewalk was put in a few days ago and now the clients can use the area.  What a gorgeous day to be outside.  Myself and the rest of the staff took all the clients outside to sit under the gazebo.  Then Patti brought lunch to them.  They had bologna/cheese sandwiches with mustard, potato chips, fruit punch, pickles, a bowl of mixed fruit, and a ding-dong for dessert.  The clients seemed to enjoy being outside.  They were all talking about how pretty things were outside, the noises that they could hear coming from the street behind us, the birds chirpping, etc.

After lunch we all went for a walk around the backyard.  Even those in wheelchairs were taken around for a walk.  We were on our third lap around the circle and Ms Margie who was being pushed in a wheelchair said to me, “You know we are going around in circles.”  I told her absolutely.  Was that a bad thing?  She told me no, she just wanted to make sure that I knew we were going around in circles.  She is so funny.  Sometimes it makes you wonder if they really do have Alzheimer’s because they have their moments of clarity.  After walking four laps around the circle it was time to go inside.

After getting the clients settled in, I went to the other side of the daycare.  I noticed that in the main room of the daycare the TV has finally been installed.  A really nice 60-inch TV.  Too bad I didn’t have that TV most of my time spent here.  That would have been a great TV for the clients to play the Wii game system on.  Still no furniture.  Just tables and chairs for the clients right now.  They do have couches, recliners, new tables and chairs ordered.  Hopefully all the new furniture will be delivered and set up before the open house.  The Open house for the newly remodeled center is currently scheduled for 17 May 2012.  I am hoping to come back and get the official tour of the newly renovated daycare center.

Still interested in a job with the daycare and Sandy, the Director is aware of this.  If and when a job comes open I could be working at the adult daycare center.  For now I will settle into my job with the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc., as their Quality Assurance Specialist.

 

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 36

Friday, 13 April 2012
Hours: 10:00 – 3:00
Total Earned:  180.0

Day Thirty-six at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Friday the 13th!!!!!  Is today a good day or a bad day for  you?

Today’s schedule for the day at the adult day health care center is as follows: Center opens at 0730. Breakfast is served at 9:30.  1000-1030 Dominoes.  1030-1100 Cooking, Watergate Salald.  1100-1130 Puzzles.  1130-1200 Morning Walk.  1200-1245 Lunch.  1245-130 Quiet Time. 1:30-3:00 Paper Plate Birds.  3:00 Snacks.  3:30 Sing a Long.  4:00 Puzzles.  4:30 Scrapbooking.  5:00 Opposites.

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 35

Monday, 9 April 2012
Hours: 11:00 – 3:00
Total Earned:  175.0

Day Thirty-five at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Today’s schedule for the day health care center is as follows: Center opens at 0730. Breakfast is served at 9:30.  1000-1030 Dominoes. 1030-1100 Cooking, BHanana Cakes. 1100-1130 Puzzles. 1130-11:30-12:00 Morning Walk.  1200-1245 Lunch.  1245-130 Quiet Time.  1:30-3:00 Fluffy Owl.  3:00 Snacks.  3:30 Horse Races.  4:00 Sing a Long.  4:30 Lacing.  5:00 Flashcard Opposites.

Yummy lunch today.  Creole Steak, Whipped Potatoes, Broccoli & Carrots, Wheat Rollm, Fresh Fruit, Milk and Margarine.

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 34

Friday, 6 April 2012
Hours: 11:00 – 4:00
Total Earned: 171.0

Day Thirty-four at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Today is Good Friday! Hosting a fish fry for our seniors today. Couldn’t ask for a prettier day for the fish fry.  The skies are blue and the sun is shining bright!  I will definitely be taking my clients outside today.

Sandy’s husband will cook the fish and hush puppies. They will be fried outside on the patio. Erika will make the baked beans. Linda has cole slaw duty. Patti will do the fries, get paper plates, utensils, condiments, drinks, etc..ready. Plus she will ensure everything stays warm in the oven. Easter baskets with candy and personal items have been donated to our center from a local church. They are so cute. Our clients will just love them!

Everyone ate great today. Some of our male clients ate three plates of food!  Guess they were pretty hungry…..of course when we make homemade food our clients always eat good.  Mr. Ray, who is a new client to the center was one of the individuals who ate three plates of food.  I asked him after he ate all his food, if he was finally full.  He told me yes maam, both legs were full now!  These clients just crack me up!!!

After lunch we played Easter Bingo.  All prizes were centered around Easter.  Stuffed easter bunnies, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, etc….After bingo it was almost time for all the clients to go home.  So the rest of the afternoon was spent on music and chit chat.  Plus most of the clients sat around and ate their prizes.

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 33

Monday, 2 April 2012
Hours: 11:00 – 3:00
Total Earned:  166.0

Day Thirty-three at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Wow!  Time is moving fast this year.  Can’t believe it’s already April.  Easter is upon us and quick!!!!!  Yipppeee!!!!  Won’t be long now before I graduate with my Master’s in Community Health Education with a specialization in Aging Studies.  Can’t wait for the big day!

Today’s schedule for the day health care center is as follows: Center opens at 0730. Breakfast is served at 9:30.  1000-1030 Sorting/weights.  1030-1100 Exercise Class.  1100-1130 Puzzles.  1130-1200 Morning Walk.  1200-1245 Lunch.  1245-130 Quiet Time.  1:30-3:00 Easter Craft with Eggs.  3:00 Snacks.  3:30-4:30  Birthday Bingo.  4:30 Lacing.  5:00 Movie.

Lunch served today was Parmeasan Chicken, Green Peas, Buttered Carrots, ,Wheat Roll, Fresh Fruit, Milk, and Margarine.

 

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 32

Friday, 30 March 2012
Hours: 10:00 – 4:00
Total Earned:  162.0

Day Thirty-two at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Today’s schedule for the day health care center is as follows: Center opens at 0730. Breakfast is served at 9:30. 1000-1030 Puzzles. 1030-1100 Cooking-Salad.  1100-1130 Button Sorting.  1130-1200 Morning Walk. 1200-1245 Lunch.  1245-130 Quiet Time.  1:30-3:00 Button Art. 3:00 Snacks.  3:30 Basketball Toss.  4:00 Music and Chat.  4:30 Lacing.  5:00 News.

Great lunch again today.  Grilled Beef Fingers, Brown Gravy, whipped Potatoes, Collard Greens, Cornbread, Fruit Blend Juice, Milk and Margarine.

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 31

Monday, 26 March 2012
Hours: 10:00 – 4:00
Total Earned: 156.0

Day Thirty-one at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

WOW!!!  Spring break has come and gone.  Took a couple days off from the daycare this week.  Needed a little rest and relaxation.  Anyway returned to the center this morning and most of my clients were very happy too see me.  How cool is that?  They actually remembered me!  Wanted to know where I had been?

I was just in time to help with the “Cooking Club” this morning.  They were making some sort of a cold salad.  Not sure it will taste too good, but we will see at snack time.  Salad consists of many vegetables.  Not sure the men will eat this either.  After the cold salad was made it was time for our daily walk.  What a gorgeous day to take the clients outside.  Most of the clients went outside today.  I took Rebecca out.  She is 62 years old and has frontal lobe Alzheimer’s.  She does not speak.  She just stares at you.  No facial expressions!  Today while we were outside I talked to her about the pretty day we were having.  While we were walking (slowly) she actually smiled at me. Wow! I am impressed she was listening to me and enjoyed being outside with me.

The clients had lunch after their walk.  I made the mistake of asking Mr. O’Neal, who is blind if he wanted me to butter his bread.  Of course, he wanted his bread buttered.  And of course so did the other twenty clients sitting in the room!!!!  So I guess today I was the official “butter girl” at lunch.   After lunch it was time for their rest period.  While the clients had quiet time, I helped Deborah paint cardboard photo frames for the clients.  We painted them red, blue, green, and purple.  The clients will make button-photo frames when their quiet time is over.  The frames will dry during their rest period.

When quiet time was over we jumped right into making these button photo frames.  What a cute idea.  Photo frames with all sorts of buttons in different colors glued onto the cardboard picture frame.  I then got to go around the room and take photos of everyone. Downloaded, printed, cut out photos for the frames.  Then we finished them off with a sprinkle of glitter.  What a great project we did today.  Possibly thinking about having my grandchildren make these when they come home for the hoildays.  Something that is easy, cheap, and parents would just love them.

Our clients really enjoyed working with the buttons today.  They seemed tickeled that they had pictures of themselves too.  When I gave one of my clients his photo frame to take home today he looked at it and told me that the picture looked just like him!  Imagine that!

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 30

Friday, 16 March 2012
Hours: 10:00 – 2:00
Total Earned: 150.0

Day Thirty at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Today’s schedule for the day health care center is as follows: Center opens at 0730. Breakfast is served at 9:30.  1000-1030 Card Games.  1030-1100 Exercise Class.  1100-1130 Creative Art.  1130-1200 Morning Walk.  1200-1245 Lunch.  1245-130 Quiet Time. 1:30-3:00 Shamrock Hats.  3:00 Snacks.  3:30-4:30 Bingo.  4:30-5:30  Discussion/Drawing.

Great lunch today.  We had BBQ Pork, Ranch Beans, Coleslaw, Hamburger Bun, Hot Spiced Apples and Milk.

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 29

Monday, 12 March 2012
Hours: 10:00 – 3:30
Total Earned: 146.0

Day Twenty-nine at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Today’s schedule for the day health care center is as follows: Center opens at 0730. Breakfast is served at 9:00. 9:30-1000 Card Game. 1030-1100 Exercise. 1100-1130 Puzzles.  1130-1200 Walk. 1200-1245  Lunch. 1245-130 Quiet Time. 1:30-3:00 Button Nose Shamrocks.  3:00 Snacks. 3:30 Horse Racing.  4:00 Wipe Off Boards.  4:30 Discussion.  5:00 News.

Well I am at the center today and helping as much as possible.  It’s really too bad that we aren’t doing the Wii anymore.  I really think the clients enjoyed playing the game.  I will sure be glad when this center is done!  There are construction workers in and out all day long.  They are drilling, tearing down walls, always making noise.  It’s getting on my nerves, I can only imagine what it is doing to the clients.

Field Experience – Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center, Day 28

Friday, 9 March 2012
Hours: 10:30 – 3:30
Total Earned: 140.5

Day Twenty-eight at the Council on Aging of West Florida’s Adult Day Health Care Center.

Arrived at the center at 10:30 today.  Again, remember I normally don’t come to the Adult Day Health Care Center on Friday. But as I stated on Monday since I was selected for the Quality Assurance Specialist position at the NWFLAAA I had to rearrange my days in order to meet my field experience hours. I will be working at the NWFLAAA on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I will be working at the Adult Day Health Care Center on Monday and Friday. I will work at UWF on Monday and Friday afternoons. I guess I will work on my classes in the evening hours!

Today was a usual day. No Wii again!!! I talked to Sandy about the “Wii with Linda” being taken off the schedule for the month of March. She told me that it was her fault. With us under construction and everyone being crammed into one room there really isn’t any room for us to do the Wii. She was very apologetic for not informing me of the change. Hopefully in a week or two we will be back to normal and the “Wii with Linda” will resume. We’ll see!!!!

Anyway I reported to the center today at 10:30. Just in time to do exercise class with the clients. After we exercised it was time for the “Cooking Club” to make scalloped potatoes. These potatoes will be eaten this afternoon for their snack. While Cooking Club cooked the rest of us did puzzles until lunch. Today for lunch we had Lasagna casserole, brussels sprouts, corn, and carrots, tossed salad, hot sliced apples, wheat bread, milk, salad dressing, margarine and milk. Lunch smelled good, but I am positive it didn’t taste as good as it smelled.

After the rest period and potty breaks it was time for our afternoon guest. Ms Kate Byrd, Harpist, was coming in to play for the clients. It was then time for snacks and time for Linda to go home.