2/18/12 - Bingo!

Saturday morning brought on another day for volunteering. My friend and I showed up at 10 a.m. ready to dive in and get to work. Upon arrival, our supervisor introduced us to another student and then began to show us some other things in the facility. We learned how to make announcements over the intercom (something I still don't quite know how to do) and gathered up some new equipment for us - the bingo supplies.

While gathering supplies, we ran into a resident, who I'll call Miss J, who had come down for coffee. At least, that's what we thought she had come down to get. It turns out she had come down to "play with the men." Upon hearing this, all four of us began to snicker and smile. She definitely changed my views on older adults not having much of a romantic life. So much for stereotypes, eh?

On that note, another stereotype I've seen disproved multiple times at The Renaissance is the stereotype that older adults are grumpy "old farts." This could not be further from the truth, at least in the assisted living facility. My friend and I were charged with gathering up a few of the ladies - the men were already in the dining room having coffee - to play trivia and, eventually, bingo. The women we encountered could not have been happier. They had smiles on their faces and were absolutely thrilled to see us and to spend time with us again.

Another stereotype I witnessed being disproved Saturday was the stereotype that older adults are frail or slow. When we adjourned to prepare bingo, we had to make sure we were ahead of the women for fear of being run down by the stampede. These ladies were serious about their bingo - I was stared down a few times when my calling was just a bit too slow. Volunteering, my previous views of the older adult population are continually being challenged and changed for the better. Each week brings new experiences, new knowledge, and new insight into the lives of the older adults at Renaissance.