1. Throughout our time at Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation center, Jordan and I noticed a few recurring themes. The first theme was the use of nonverbal communication. Jordan and I came across this every time that we visited. Whenever we would play cards with the residents, non-verbals were a big part of the game. Even if the residents would not verbally communicate with us, we could tell how they were feeling or what they were thinking by their facial expressions, tone of voice, energy levels, posture...etc. Non-verbals also played a big role in residents that had trouble communicating verbally. If residents had trouble using words, they would use actions to show others what they were trying to say. This was the method that they used to communicate with others.
Another theme that Jordan and I noticed was the use of symbols. On our first visit to the nursing home, we discovered the importance of symbols when we came across the sign that told us to "push the green button before entering." There were other signs on the inside of the nursing home that gave instructions for exiting the building. Another use of signs and symbols is the layout of the building. The first floor refers to the cafeteria and lobby. The second floor refers to the bedridden patients floor. The third floor is where the independent residents reside. The fourth floor is where the Alzheimer's patients live. We were also given the opportunity to see how language is symbolic. We learned this through the card bingo game that we played with the residents on our final day there.
A final theme that was evident throughout our trips to the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was the use of deception. Many of the residents have come to learn that it is easy to deceive those that are not around them on a daily basis. On our first day at the nursing home, one of the residents asked Jordan to push her to another room. The Nurse told Jordan that the lady had to do this on her own because it was her "daily exercise." Another time that I volunteered at a nursing home, the residents would tell the volunteers to get them coffee when they were not allowed to have coffee. Because residents themselves do not have access to the items that they normally would if they lived on their own, they sometimes try to use others to get the things that they want. Deception seems to be a recurring theme with those that do not have easy access to the things that they want.
2. Besides the main recurring themes, I was able to detect several other concepts that we have been learning about in class through our service at the Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. This service learning assignment has been a great experience for me. I have really learned a lot and have become much better at looking for concepts from class that are part of everyday life. This experience will definitely shape my future interpersonal interactions. This service learning has helped me to know how to better communicate with others. I have become more aware of the conversations, or lack of conversations, that take place. I can now pick out specific concepts that I have learned about in class. This helps me to be better engaged in the conversations that I have with others. I have also learned the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. Going into the service project, I was not overly enthusiastic. I had already worked with a nursing home last summer when I was training to become a CNA. I would prefer working around children, and that is part of the reason that I chose to volunteer at the Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. I thought that maybe I had a bad experience in the past and that it would be good to try volunteering at a different nursing home. I am glad that I made this decision. Jordan and I had a great time with the residents. I enjoyed spending time with them and was glad that I got to know them. The residents were all very nice and seemed glad to have some new faces around. Jordan and I would like to visit the residents again as soon as school winds down.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Blog 4 (During Service)
1. On Sunday, April 7th, Jordan and I made our final visit to the Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. This was our first time visiting on a Sunday, and because of that, we thought that we might be doing something different than the normal Saturday routine. Normally on Saturdays Jordan and I would get there around lunch time and wait until the residents were done with lunch to play independent card games with them. After the card games, we would help bring residents downstairs for the church service. After visiting on Sunday, we learned that the routine on Sunday is not much different from the one on Saturday. When Jordan and I arrived at the Nursing home we played independent card games with the residents until it was time for card bingo. Our visit on Sunday demonstrated a few concepts from class. I found an example of a euphemism being used. I also noticed how symbolic language can be. A final concept that I found that relates to class was the Social Penetration Model.
2. Jordan and I found the Nursing Home without many problems by our third trip there. We were able to make it past the green button without the alarm going off. Once we were inside, we waited on a couch for the volunteer coordinator to come meet with us. She then brought us up to the third floor. We walked in to the independent cards game room and saw that two resident were already engaged in a game of Skipbo. Jordan and I sat next to the two ladies and made some small talk about the game that they were playing. I realized that this situation could be related to the Social Penetration Model. This model relates to self-disclosure. The first dimension in the model involves the breadth of information, or the range of subjects being discussed. The second dimension of the model is depth, and relates to the depth of the information being discussed. The residents, Jordan, and I did much better with the first dimension of the model than we did with the second. We are able to talk about a variety of topics such as school, home, friends, and activities that we participate in. Discussing any of these topics in depth is the difficult part. Because we do know know the residents on a personal level, and they do not know us on a personal level, it is difficult to share personal information with one another.
Once they had finished their game, Jordan and I joined in on the next game. Once this game had started, another resident entered the room. She brought the newspaper with her and casually mentioned how one of the residents at the nursing home had passed away. This is an example of a euphemism because the lady made the statement sound less harsh. She said that the man had "passed away" instead of saying that he died. One of the residents that was playing cards with us was very surprised by the news. The other lady already seemed to have known about the death. The lady that was surprised wondered why the other lady had not shared the news beforehand. She was upset by the poor communication skills of her friend. Once everyone had moved on from the sad news, we got back to the card game. However, we did not play long before it was time to head downstairs to play card bingo.
Card bingo is a game where the first person to have their 5 cards called out of the deck wins. I sat next to a resident named GiGi to help her with her cards since she is not able to talk or move very well. Since GiGi could not speak very well, she would point to one of her cards if she heard it called out. She used non-verbals since she was not able to use verbals effectively. This game made me think about how language is symbolic. So that the residents would not confuse "eight" and "ace," the woman calling out the cards would say "big a" for "ace." I had never heard this term before, but all of the residents knew what it meant because they had acquired a use for calling the card "big a" instead of "ace." This is a good example of how people assign meaning to words.
3. Through this visit to the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, I learned even more ways that communication concepts can be tied into everyday life. It made me think about how concepts that I learn in my classes can be applied to the "real world." It is always important to try and connect things that you learn in class to the real world because it helps you to understand the importance of learning them. I hope to be able to apply concepts from this class to life events outside of my service learning as well. I will need to try to think about how communication concepts can be applied to all of my interpersonal communication, not just with the residents from service learning.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Blog #3 (During Service)
1. On Saturday, March 23, Jordan and I made our second trip to Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Because we now knew what the building looked like, we did not drive past it. We also knew that we should park in the visitor parking area. Just to be safe with the green button, we asked a man outside what to do. We successfully made it in the building without the alarm going off this time. When we arrived, we met the new director, Marlo. Marlo was very excited to meet us. She had much better communication with us about our volunteering. She also let the employees know that we would be coming. Marlo seemed generally interested in finding out information about Jordan and I. This communication was qualitative. She treated Jordan and I as unique individuals regardless of the context. She wanted to find out more about us besides the fact that we were volunteering for her. This was different from the last director who used quantitative communication. We never met this director, but over the phone she did not seem to have an interest in Jordan and I. She did not care to know anything personal about either of us.
2. Once Jordan and I had a chance to talk to the new director, Marlo, we went upstairs to the with Darren, the activities director. Darren was ready to go on his break when we got there, so he told us we could sit in the activities room until it was time for independent cards at 1. Since we did not just want to sit there, we went to find Marlo and ask if we could help her with anything. We helped her clean out a closet in the activities room.
During our first visit to the nursing home, Jordan and began to use Knapp's stages of relationship development. We began by initiating. We tried to show the residents that we were interested in them and wanted to communicate with them. After initiating, we began experimenting. Jordan and I began to look for similarities between the residents and ourselves so that we could better connect with them. The residents did the same with us. They would ask us things such as where we went to school, what we were majoring in, and where we were originally from. This "small talk" helps you to better connect with people on a deeper level later on in the relationship. Unfortunately, because most of the people in the nursing home are confined there, we would not be able to move on to the intensifying stage of relationship development and take trips with them. However, in most other relationships, this would be the next stage that the relationship would progress to.
When it was time for independent card games, Jordan and I sat patiently at the card table. Moments later, a fight broke out among the residents. They all began to yell at each other because there were not enough chairs at the table. You could easily tell that the residents were angry through verbal and nonverbal cues. The words that the residents were saying displayed their anger. You could also tell that they were angry through nonverbal cues such vocal tone and rate, and facial expressions. One lady, Mary, was a mediator in the argument and was able to settle the other residents down and end the fight. Mary is not afraid of what others think. She says what is on her mind and scolded the person that was at fault for the argument. By doing this, she was able to quiet the residents down.
After the dispute, Arlene and her husband Steve sat down to play Skipbo with Jordan and I. I began to notice that Arlene and Steve were quite different. I would consider them to be complementary. Arlene did not communicate much at all. I saw her smile a few times, but that was about it. The only time she spoke up was when she disagreed with something that someone did. She seemed much more reserved than her husband, Steve. Steve initiated conversation with Jordan and I. Knapp's stages of relationship development can also be applied here. Steve began by showing interest in talking to Jordan and I. He then experimented by trying to find out more about Jordan and I. He made connections between his life and our lives. He told us about where he used to go to school after we talked about St. Ambrose. He made connections so that he could better relate to us.
3. Although we will not necessarily be able to move on to the next stage of relationship development with the residents, I hope that Jordan and I will be able to continue to connect with the residents on a deeper level. Since we had a chance to get to know Arlene and Steve, it would be nice to get to talk to some new residents next time and get to know them on a more personal level. The next time that Jordan and I visit the residents, we plan to go on a Sunday. The past two times that we volunteered were Saturdays. We are hoping that visiting the residents on a different day will provide us with the opportunity to do something different with them.
2. Once Jordan and I had a chance to talk to the new director, Marlo, we went upstairs to the with Darren, the activities director. Darren was ready to go on his break when we got there, so he told us we could sit in the activities room until it was time for independent cards at 1. Since we did not just want to sit there, we went to find Marlo and ask if we could help her with anything. We helped her clean out a closet in the activities room.
During our first visit to the nursing home, Jordan and began to use Knapp's stages of relationship development. We began by initiating. We tried to show the residents that we were interested in them and wanted to communicate with them. After initiating, we began experimenting. Jordan and I began to look for similarities between the residents and ourselves so that we could better connect with them. The residents did the same with us. They would ask us things such as where we went to school, what we were majoring in, and where we were originally from. This "small talk" helps you to better connect with people on a deeper level later on in the relationship. Unfortunately, because most of the people in the nursing home are confined there, we would not be able to move on to the intensifying stage of relationship development and take trips with them. However, in most other relationships, this would be the next stage that the relationship would progress to.
When it was time for independent card games, Jordan and I sat patiently at the card table. Moments later, a fight broke out among the residents. They all began to yell at each other because there were not enough chairs at the table. You could easily tell that the residents were angry through verbal and nonverbal cues. The words that the residents were saying displayed their anger. You could also tell that they were angry through nonverbal cues such vocal tone and rate, and facial expressions. One lady, Mary, was a mediator in the argument and was able to settle the other residents down and end the fight. Mary is not afraid of what others think. She says what is on her mind and scolded the person that was at fault for the argument. By doing this, she was able to quiet the residents down.
After the dispute, Arlene and her husband Steve sat down to play Skipbo with Jordan and I. I began to notice that Arlene and Steve were quite different. I would consider them to be complementary. Arlene did not communicate much at all. I saw her smile a few times, but that was about it. The only time she spoke up was when she disagreed with something that someone did. She seemed much more reserved than her husband, Steve. Steve initiated conversation with Jordan and I. Knapp's stages of relationship development can also be applied here. Steve began by showing interest in talking to Jordan and I. He then experimented by trying to find out more about Jordan and I. He made connections between his life and our lives. He told us about where he used to go to school after we talked about St. Ambrose. He made connections so that he could better relate to us.
3. Although we will not necessarily be able to move on to the next stage of relationship development with the residents, I hope that Jordan and I will be able to continue to connect with the residents on a deeper level. Since we had a chance to get to know Arlene and Steve, it would be nice to get to talk to some new residents next time and get to know them on a more personal level. The next time that Jordan and I visit the residents, we plan to go on a Sunday. The past two times that we volunteered were Saturdays. We are hoping that visiting the residents on a different day will provide us with the opportunity to do something different with them.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Blog #2
On Saturday February 23, Jordan and I had our first service-learning experience. We visited Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation center. When we first arrived, we drove past the nursing home. Our schemas of nursing homes did not include buildings that looked like apartments. As soon as we drove past the building, we saw the sign and realized that we needed to turn around. We were then unsure of where to park. After we had already parked we noticed a parking section for "visitor parking." We then went inside and failed to take note of the sign that told us to push the green button before entering. We then set off an alarm and a man had to come let us in and turn the alarm off. Setting off the alarm was partly our fault in that we did not pay attention to it. I believe that the nursing home needs to put the sign in a better place or make it more obvious so that visitors do not set the alarm off.
After the alarm situation was settled, we went into the cafeteria. Lunch had already been served and a lady said that next time we should arrive earlier to help her with her job. If they would have told us before hand to help out with lunch by using better communication, then we would have arrived at a time to help out with lunch. As plates were delivered to residents, there was not much communication present. Mostly, the staff members would just hand the residents their meals and move on. After lunch, we rode the elevator to the third floor. A lady asked Jordan and I questions to get to know us. She then asked us if we were a couple. I am assuming that she presumed that we were a couple because we told her that we both went to the same school and that we were volunteering together. She also probably assumed this because of how close we were standing in the elevator. This would be an example of proxemics. A man then gave Jordan and I a tour of the building. The second floor consisted of mostly bedridden people. The third floor was mostly mobile people. The fourth floor was independent people and people with alzheimers. After the tour, we were told to play independent card games with the residents. We played 2 games of Yahtzee with Doris and Steve. Doris was rather quiet and kept to herself. She did not seem to like to talk much and did not smile much either. She did not use many nonverbal cues to let us know how she felt. Steve was even more reserved than Doris. He barely talked at all and mostly just nodded his head and said "yeah" or "no." Besides Doris and Steve, there were other residents at the end of the table. They were rather quiet at first, but then again, so were Jordan and I. As time passed, we became more talkative and friendly with them. After we finished playing Yahtzee, we went down to a church service in the cafeteria.
From our first service-learning experience I learned that Jordan and I need to pay more attention to our surroundings. We had a few issues such as parking, the green button, and arriving when they wanted us to arrive. Now that we will know a few of the residents, we will feel more comfortable around them and next time, will hopefully be able to talk to them more.
After the alarm situation was settled, we went into the cafeteria. Lunch had already been served and a lady said that next time we should arrive earlier to help her with her job. If they would have told us before hand to help out with lunch by using better communication, then we would have arrived at a time to help out with lunch. As plates were delivered to residents, there was not much communication present. Mostly, the staff members would just hand the residents their meals and move on. After lunch, we rode the elevator to the third floor. A lady asked Jordan and I questions to get to know us. She then asked us if we were a couple. I am assuming that she presumed that we were a couple because we told her that we both went to the same school and that we were volunteering together. She also probably assumed this because of how close we were standing in the elevator. This would be an example of proxemics. A man then gave Jordan and I a tour of the building. The second floor consisted of mostly bedridden people. The third floor was mostly mobile people. The fourth floor was independent people and people with alzheimers. After the tour, we were told to play independent card games with the residents. We played 2 games of Yahtzee with Doris and Steve. Doris was rather quiet and kept to herself. She did not seem to like to talk much and did not smile much either. She did not use many nonverbal cues to let us know how she felt. Steve was even more reserved than Doris. He barely talked at all and mostly just nodded his head and said "yeah" or "no." Besides Doris and Steve, there were other residents at the end of the table. They were rather quiet at first, but then again, so were Jordan and I. As time passed, we became more talkative and friendly with them. After we finished playing Yahtzee, we went down to a church service in the cafeteria.
From our first service-learning experience I learned that Jordan and I need to pay more attention to our surroundings. We had a few issues such as parking, the green button, and arriving when they wanted us to arrive. Now that we will know a few of the residents, we will feel more comfortable around them and next time, will hopefully be able to talk to them more.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Blog #1 (Pre-Service)
1. What are your hopes for the service-learning project?
In this serving-learning project I hope to gain a few things. I am excited to be able to share my time and talents with others. By doing this, I hope to learn from those that I will be surrounded by. I want to gain new experiences and try new things. I would like to be able to practice looking for the things that I am learning in class in the "real world."
2. What are your assumptions about your service-learning site?
I am not positive where my partner and I will be going yet. We decided that we would both like to serve at a Nursing Home or assist the elderly. I have found 3 places that are affiliated with St. Ambrose that are possibilities! I am assuming that the first day might be intimidating, but once I get adjusted everything will be great. I am sure that since the places that I am considering are affiliated with St. Ambrose, that the school has had good luck with them in the past. I am hoping that they will be helpful in setting up volunteer time so that I will be able to serve them as well.
3. What do you already know/or assume about the work they do?
The places that I am looking at doing my service are responsible for caring for the elderly. One place has daily activities and classes for seniors. They also have an adult day care center. The second service site is an actual nursing home. Here, the residents are continually cared for by nurses and nursing assistants. The third site is a retirement community that offers independent living, assisted living, and skilled care.
4. What do you know/or assume about the population they serve?
I know that the population that these sites serve consists of elderly people. Often times they may need assistance with little things such as being taken from one room to another or reaching a t.v. remote. Most often, the residents just want attention. Because there are a number of people at each site, residents may not always get individual attention. Sometimes all they need to brighten their day is a friend to talk to!
5. What connections/interests/passions do you have for this site or the population it serves?
I am very interested in volunteering my time for the elderly. I am a Nursing major and became a Certified Nursing Assistant last summer. In order to become a CNA, I had to spend 8 hours every Friday at a nursing home for several weeks. This experience helped me to learn the skills necessary to become a CNA. It also helped me because I had never worked much with the elderly. I was able to learn a lot by being around them. I learned that many of them crave attention. They love having people come visit them because often times there families fail to do so. Many people had dates marked down on their calendars when a family member was supposed to come visit. Several of them had pictures that they loved to flip through and show to visitors. Seeing how happy they were with the little time that I was able to spend with them made me want to volunteer with the elderly again.
In this serving-learning project I hope to gain a few things. I am excited to be able to share my time and talents with others. By doing this, I hope to learn from those that I will be surrounded by. I want to gain new experiences and try new things. I would like to be able to practice looking for the things that I am learning in class in the "real world."
2. What are your assumptions about your service-learning site?
I am not positive where my partner and I will be going yet. We decided that we would both like to serve at a Nursing Home or assist the elderly. I have found 3 places that are affiliated with St. Ambrose that are possibilities! I am assuming that the first day might be intimidating, but once I get adjusted everything will be great. I am sure that since the places that I am considering are affiliated with St. Ambrose, that the school has had good luck with them in the past. I am hoping that they will be helpful in setting up volunteer time so that I will be able to serve them as well.
3. What do you already know/or assume about the work they do?
The places that I am looking at doing my service are responsible for caring for the elderly. One place has daily activities and classes for seniors. They also have an adult day care center. The second service site is an actual nursing home. Here, the residents are continually cared for by nurses and nursing assistants. The third site is a retirement community that offers independent living, assisted living, and skilled care.
4. What do you know/or assume about the population they serve?
I know that the population that these sites serve consists of elderly people. Often times they may need assistance with little things such as being taken from one room to another or reaching a t.v. remote. Most often, the residents just want attention. Because there are a number of people at each site, residents may not always get individual attention. Sometimes all they need to brighten their day is a friend to talk to!
5. What connections/interests/passions do you have for this site or the population it serves?
I am very interested in volunteering my time for the elderly. I am a Nursing major and became a Certified Nursing Assistant last summer. In order to become a CNA, I had to spend 8 hours every Friday at a nursing home for several weeks. This experience helped me to learn the skills necessary to become a CNA. It also helped me because I had never worked much with the elderly. I was able to learn a lot by being around them. I learned that many of them crave attention. They love having people come visit them because often times there families fail to do so. Many people had dates marked down on their calendars when a family member was supposed to come visit. Several of them had pictures that they loved to flip through and show to visitors. Seeing how happy they were with the little time that I was able to spend with them made me want to volunteer with the elderly again.
Monday, January 28, 2013
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