My first impressions
I did fieldwork at the Gemstone Senior Care Center. The reason I chose senior care was that Nanase, who was studying abroad here last year, recommended it to me. Initially, I thought I would have more opportunities to talk with residents However, in the first week, we didn’t have much chance to talk, and we were bored. At that time, I wanted to have more conversations with the residents.
Week 1 & 2
Our first and second weeks were quite interesting. That is because instead of seniors, we took care of goat and chickens. They were brought in as therapy animals for the residents. One goat name was Fern. She disliked walking, so she used a wheelchair to move around. It was a really unique sight. I got quite used to seeing goat. The next week, two chickens came. They were small in size, and it was my first time touching chickens. By this time, I started remembering the names of some residents. Also, from the second week, I began challenging myself to engage in conversations with the residents.
Week 3 & 4
By the third and fourth weeks, we had learned our work routine. There is always BINGO on Wednesday afternoons. We conducted BINGO at least twice, starting with one line, then two lines, and finally a full house. While doing this, we assisted and observed the residents. On Thursdays we did origami and music therapy. By this time, I had my favorite residents, and was very excited to meet them.
Week 5 & 6
As the fifth and sixth weeks passed, our excitement grew even more. It was really cute ti see the resident buying 15 chips on the candy cart. It was heartwarming that the residents remembered us and looked forward to our visits. We had wonderful moments conversing with the residents and spending quality time together.
Last week
It’s the final week. We never meet without a parting. I was sad as the end approached. We felt grateful, so on the last day, we treated everyone to Japanese cuisineโsoba noodles and tamagoyaki. It brought joy to both the residents and staff, and we were happy about that. We went to say good-bye to our favorite residents. Truly, saying goodbye was really tough.
