The Elderly On February 27th I went with a group to deliver meals to some of the elderly in my community. The experience greatly affected me and opened my eyes to a great need in my community. I observed the need for human companionship, as well as, physical needs. The elderly can become dependent on others because with age they cannot do certain things. I and others can help the elderly by meeting with them and visiting them.
What was observed during the experience? I observed many different things during my experience. One health problem I noticed was Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease “thought processes slow, their judgment is impaired, communication disturbances develop, and disorientation occurs” (Basirico, Cashion, …show more content…
The elderly population has many needs; however, some are specific to certain people. The biggest need I saw was companionship because many of the elderly are unable to drive and do not get out in the community anymore. One lady even told me that she was probably talking too much, but she never has anyone to talk to, so when she does have someone she just wants to keep talking. We were delivering food and had many people to deliver to, so we did not stay and visit much at any of our stops, but they were hungry for the companionship more than the food. Another need that was noticeable was physical needs. We were helping them out by bringing a meal and some food that they could snack on throughout the week to help meet this need. Some of the elderly we visited mentioned not getting out into the community because of the inability to get out or to drive. At least two people mentioned that they wished they could go to church, but they were either not physically able or had no one to drive them. Some of the homes we entered were spotless, but others had a noticeable stench to them which signified that the house or the person within needed cleaning. Some of the elderly have pets to keep them company, but may not be able to properly clean up after
What was observed during the experience? I observed many different things during my experience. One health problem I noticed was Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease “thought processes slow, their judgment is impaired, communication disturbances develop, and disorientation occurs” (Basirico, Cashion, …show more content…
The elderly population has many needs; however, some are specific to certain people. The biggest need I saw was companionship because many of the elderly are unable to drive and do not get out in the community anymore. One lady even told me that she was probably talking too much, but she never has anyone to talk to, so when she does have someone she just wants to keep talking. We were delivering food and had many people to deliver to, so we did not stay and visit much at any of our stops, but they were hungry for the companionship more than the food. Another need that was noticeable was physical needs. We were helping them out by bringing a meal and some food that they could snack on throughout the week to help meet this need. Some of the elderly we visited mentioned not getting out into the community because of the inability to get out or to drive. At least two people mentioned that they wished they could go to church, but they were either not physically able or had no one to drive them. Some of the homes we entered were spotless, but others had a noticeable stench to them which signified that the house or the person within needed cleaning. Some of the elderly have pets to keep them company, but may not be able to properly clean up after