Living History program pairs high school students with GreenFields seniors
They brought scrapbooks, shadowboxes, CDs, video diaries - all fruits of the relationships local teens enrolled in an Exploring Medical Careers program at Fox Valley Career Center have formed with residents of GreenFields of Geneva senior living community over the past several weeks.
Offering career and training programs to high school students in the far west Chicago suburbs, the center partnered with GreenFields, using the senior community as a clinical site for this intergenerational effort to share life stories.
When the center's health occupations instructor Donna Harner approached GreenFields director of nursing Venus Perez about pairing each student with the same resident three days a week, Perez was beyond enthusiastic.
"I was so excited. I thought it would be perfect for our residents to be able to talk with young people about their lives and impart their knowledge. It's been an unbelievable opportunity for both the students and our residents," she said.
Throughout the program, the students have been preparing keepsakes and artifacts for their senior partners, based on what they've learned about them. They presented these mementos to them at a reception last week. "We wanted to make this very special for our residents and their families. They have enjoyed this program so much," said Perez of the initiative in its inaugural year.
While Perez hopes the program will extend to those in independent living at GreenFields, it is currently focused on residents in assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.
"This program has allowed them to come out, socialize, and let people hear about who they are, not just their health issues," said Perez, remarking that one student was fascinated to learn that his partner was a "real live" child of the Depression era. "He said, 'Whoa! You lived through the Great Depression? This is living history!'" Living history is precisely what seniors can offer everyone, not just young people. And, according to Perez, infinite wisdom. "When you really sit down with seniors, you can learn so much."
As a high school student in the 1970s, Perez joined a health occupations program similar to the curriculum offered at Fox Valley Career Center. She worked in a hospital for three years, but declined to pursue nursing because of a mortal fear of needles. After 10 years in accounting, Perez was again stirred by her heart's desire: caring for others. When her daughter was born and needed tests that required needles, she overcame her phobia and pursued a nursing degree.
Crediting her entrée into the health field to her own high school experiences, Perez is hopeful that students in the Exploring Medical Careers program will follow similar paths. "This is a community-based life story project offering invaluable lessons in stewardship," she said. "Anyone, especially those in health care, can benefit from this opportunity."
GreenFields is an exceptional LifeCare community offering an ideal location, a wonderful retirement lifestyle. GreenFields offers independent living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation and skilled nursing, with the most comprehensive plan available for long-term care if ever needed. For additional information, visit www.GreenFieldsOfGeneva.org.