Social Work Internship Experience With Alzheimer Patients

Social Work Internship Experience With Alzheimer Patients

My service learning experience was a positive one. I had the opportunity to work at an Alzheimer's care facility, with patients exhibiting various stages of Alzheimer's disease. I learned through my interactions with older adults at the clinic that much like anyone else, Alzheimer's patients need stimulation, warmth, compassion and an environment that encourages interaction and relationship building.

My views of older adults have changed significantly since working with patients at the care center. Whereas in the past I might have assumed that all older adults were mentally less cognizant of their emotions and feelings and 'numb' to the world around them, I learned instead that many have a great compassion for caring, and many desire simply to enjoy much of the same things than anyone else would at their age. My experiences are described in greater detail below.

Summary of Experiences

My first impressions were that Legacy Gardens provided optimal care for the elderly. Up until this point in time I had held a somewhat negative image of care centers, believing that they were a place that people might 'dump' elderly family members or sick patients in order to 'wash their hands of them.' I held an image that staff were abrupt with patients and unkind, simply doing a job because they had to rather than because they wanted to. My impressions were immediately changed however, upon working at Legacy Gardens.

Upon meeting with staff members I was greeted by staff and comfortable approaching residents living at the facility. The patients at the care center were separated by capacity; the east side was reserved for higher functioning individuals whereas the west side was preserved for individuals with higher disease progression, meaning they were lower functioning.

I felt my experiences were positive in nature, and believed that the system set in place truly helped the elderly cope with the progression of their disease in a safe and warm environment. Meeting with patients I learned they have many of the same concerns anyone else would. One patient for example was concerned with being separated from his wife, who was in a traditional nursing home. I would feel the same way if separated with my spouse.

In the advanced disease progression side, I realized that there is some separation as suggested in the disengagement theory presented in the text. Social disengagement theory suggests that the elderly withdraw from society as much as society withdraws from the elderly; the reasoning behind this is that the elderly have less physical stamina and a higher death rate (text). Methods by which the elderly may be disengaged include retirement, less involvement in family life, and separation.

In the case of the particularly patient I met with, they mentioned they missed their wife, but I was instructed to lie to him telling him his wife would come soon. It seems the wife had 'disengaged' herself from the relationship. However, as bad as I felt being dishonest, the small 'white lie' seemed to make the patient feel more at ease and happier about his current situation.

People with less deterioration had noticeably more functioning and cognitive ability then people whose disease was more progressed. When leading group activities, I found it much easier to work with patients on the west side, who despite my having to repeat the instructions for the game several time still grasped the purpose of a group activity. The people with more advanced stages of the illness had a difficult time grasping the concept of the game much less the rules.

The concept of senescence, as described in the text as the process of aging, was varying apparent working in the Alzheimer's facility. As mentioned in the readings, the process of aging affects people in different ways at different rates, and can affect various parts of the body (Gebo, 2004). For some aging occurs vary rapidly, with some parts of the body aging more quickly than others. Most of the physical changes that accompany aging including loss of hearing, wrinkling and sense of touch gradually deteriorate at varying rates; Alzheimer's it seems is very similar, affecting various people in different ways at different rates.

The idea of senility as a myth became very apparent working with the elderly patients at Legacy Gardens. Most of the people I interacted with appeared disoriented and confused; however they were suffering from a bonafide condition, Alzheimer's. For example, when working in group activities I often had to repeat the instructions several times. Not because the patients I was working with weren't smart enough to comprehend the instructions the first time, but because their brain functioning had been altered as a result of the progression of the disease.

Most of the elderly at the center were capable of remaining physically active and in moments of clarity when I had discussions with patients most seemed capable of grasping the most basic intellectual concepts and human emotions.

Alzheimer's as described in the text is a degenerative brain disorder. It gradually causes deterioration in ones memory, awareness and their ability to control bodily functions (Gebo, 2004). Irritability, restlessness and impairments of judgment are not uncommon (Gebo, 2004).

One thing became very clear during the visits with patients at the center. The elderly, no matter their cognitive functioning or state of awareness, just as anyone else require companionship, understanding and compassion. Take the case of the gentleman who missed his wife that no longer visited. The obvious distress and grief this person was experiencing was evident in his every day actions. Likewise, the individual I consulted with on the west side experienced similar grief.

Undoubtedly as with anyone it is critical to address these emotions with all patients regardless of their mental function and capacity, to ensure they are given every opportunity to experience life to the fullest potential possible.

Personal, Professional Experiences

Overall I feel my experiences working with Alzheimer's patients at Legacy Gardens impacted me in a positive manner. Up until this point in time I had always considered the state of affairs for elderly individuals as something foreign or distant. It was as if the elderly were an entirely different breed.

I also must admit some fear of working with the elderly initially. When I first started participating in group activities, I thought I would have a member of the trained staff there to assist me. Much to my surprise and eventual delight however, I was left on my own to interact with patients and develop a relationship with each of the patients.

Interacting with each member of the group was much like interaction with anyone else, with the exception that cognitive impairments were evident among group members, and I often had to repeat myself. One of the biggest things I learned from a personal and professional standpoint was the importance of demonstrating compassion, patience and understanding. A majority of the patients I worked with did not required that I do anything more than simply listen to them. Many had been separated from society for so long; they seemed to live in their own complex world of experiences and relationships. Most of the time when they had cognizant moments they preferred to simply reminisce about the way things used to be.