Talkative Rose

This semester I had the privilege of making weekly visits to sweet, caring and talkative “Rose”. Vastly different from my first patient, Rose eagerly awaited seeing us every week and upon our arrival, would immediately sit straight up, turn off her television and give us her whole attention. And while Rose loved to talk about her life experiences she never hesitated to ask us about our classes and friendships and was always eager for our answers. She provided us with lots of insights: the love she shared with her late husband, her pets and the way in which she hopes to be reunited with them one day. Rose is so proud of her family, especially her grandson who is approaching college graduation, even though she is very upset because she cannot attend due to her condition. Although her spirit is high, Rose reminds us that as a result of her condition her memory is not great during every visit. We let Rose lead the conversation and go with the flow, reassuring her that her family will have lots of photos and videos for her from the graduation and other approaching familial milestones. One thing Rose taught me is to not be scared of death as she always says, “I know that God has a plan for me. When he’s ready for me, I am ready for him.” She emphasizes that she will miss her family, but realizes that her condition has already taken a toll on her both physically and mentally. During this semester, I shared my visits to Rose with another volunteer. It was relieving to know that I had another person to lean on and share in the experiences. I also really enjoyed the group meeting to hear the perspective of other volunteers. We were able to offer advice and comfort to each other. I think the two best parts of this program were having the opportunity to brighten someone’s day, like Rose, as well as sharing my own experiences and learning from others to ultimately guide each other.