During my Senior High School, one of our subject was Research. Our group consist of five members, and since that time we choose Nursing as our first choice for college, we decided to have a topic which is about the challenges that the staffs encountered in home for the aged.
We look for a perfect institution where we can conduct our study, until we found this Residents of St. Vincent Strambi Home for the Aged of General Santos City. This residency for aged people accepts homeless elders and seniors who are abandoned by their family. Although the main purpose of our study is to determine experiences encountered by the staffs, having some short interview and friendly talk to the staffs and elders gives an emotional impact to us.
If you had an experience of visiting home for the aged, you might feel the same and experienced what we had. And here are some friendly talk that we had by the elders in the said residence.
________________________
When we entered the door of their building, this is the instruction of one of their staff.
Students, if you can see that they are fighting or acting like a child, just don't be afraid okay? It is normal.
-Staff
That time me and my groupmates just nod our head, then look at each other as we don't know that does the staff really mean. Few minutes later, we enter their kitchen and start to conduct an interview. Until a grandpa, one of the residents in that institution was so angry entering the kitchen. We secretly asked the staff on why he is so angry, and she answered "they always fight for simple things, he is the most short tempered adult here". Just by this, we understand that taking care of elders is not that easy especially when they are angry or turns into childish.
When all of us are settle down, the staff call one elder and asked if we can talk to her. I think the staff choose her since she is kind and easy to talk to. And then we start to ask her this question.
Are you okay here grandma?
Yes I am, they take care of us. This is our room(pointing the pink doors), while this is for boys(pointing the blue doors)
-Grandma
That is how the staffs organized their rooms, they paint color pink for the girl's room, while color blue for boy's room. There are room which is intended for one person, and also rooms consisting of 2-3 persons, it depends on what they are comfortable. Another good thing about it, is when we asked elders about their beds, then they said they are comfortable and satisfied with it.
Do you have a family grandma?
Yes, I have daughters. But they already have their own family.
-Grandma
Their own family? Is she not a family?This what runs in my mind after grandma said it.
Although nuclear family (composed of parents and their children in one home) is the common type of family structure, we can see that there are people avoiding their responsibility for taking care of their parents. I remember one of the segment of Raffy Tulfo in Action, where the siblings keeps passing each other on who will be the one to take care their mother. It is just so sad to hear this kind of issue, wherein there is no need to talk about it, but to take action in taking care their mother, just like how their mother take care of them when they are babies until they grow. Although we should not be judgemental since they have their own mind to think what is right, but honestly this is the world's reality.
How you came up here grandma?
I go here on my own. I don't have a family that will take care of me, so I prefer to be here. I have foods, they take care of me, this is my house and they are my family.
-Grandma
To feel at home in others house is such a blessing. But if we think deeper on it, we can understand that she prefer to be in the home for the aged, atleast she feels that she belong and have this what we called a family.
________________________
We visited them for 3 times, as I can remember. We talked to them not just only grandma which I have mentioned. There are organizations and good people who give them funds for foods, medicine, clothes and everything they need.
At the end all I can say is, IT IS NOT HOME FOR THE AGED, BUT HOME OF OUR BELOVED.
And I hope that we love our parents and take care of them as they grow old.
Author's Note :
This article was inspired based on my conversation with my bestfriend, as we tackle about elders last week. By that, I came up with this topic, and also my way to share my experiences in visiting home for the aged.
The said friendly talked was conducted using Bisaya/Cebuano Language, I translate it in English so that everyone can understand.
Lead image was edited using PicsArt
Sending hugs!
It's sad the way some treat their family. I just hope that their actions will not be done to them.