When Jason Garbarino asked his students at the beginning of his gerontology course if any of them planned to work with the elderly, only a few hands went up. That was before the students met the seniors living at the Residence at Shelburne Bay — and heard their stories.
The students’ key assignment for the class: develop and implement weekly “reminiscence therapy” sessions at the nearby independent and assisted living community. Some of the therapy sessions included music or physical activity. One session took the form of a bingo game, prompting seniors to answer questions, like “What was your proudest achievement?” or “What was it like to become a parent?” Each got the senior talking or writing about their lives.
One of the most powerful sessions involved seniors writing letters to their younger selves, and in the process offering up advice and wisdom to the students. Their thoughts ranged from the inspirational, “Work hard, and you’ll never be sorry,” to the comical, “Know your spouse more than six days before you marry her.”
Over each of the sessions — and weekly, one-on-one sessions in the residents' apartments, another component to the therapy — the stories of full lives that spanned major historical milestones emerged. One man in his 80s recounted his experiences in World War II and what it was like to celebrate in the streets of Germany when the war ended. Another spoke of his pride in his job as a golf caddie for Patricia Jane Berg, the most successful pro female golfer of all time, who won 15 major tournaments in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
“My husband was my hero,” said one resident. “My dad died young, and my husband gave all the money he’d made working in a factory and in the military to my mother.”
For seniors, the chance to tell their stories — both in writing and in conversation — increases social interaction and improves psychological wellbeing. For students, listening helps them learn about the needs of the elderly as well as their rich personal histories.
With an estimated 2.5 million more health care workers needed by 2030 to take care of America’s rapidly aging population, interactive classes like Garbarino’s could help fill the void. Some students in the class are saying they now want to work with elderly populations when they graduate. Nursing student Kate Flynn is among the converted.
“This experience has changed many of our views,” says Flynn, who is among the 83 students taking the required course as part of their bachelor of science in nursing degree. “It really opened my eyes to the need for more elderly care. I also learned how to be patient and to feel more gratitude.”
Learning from service
The course wasn’t always structured this way, with students working directly with the elderly. Prior to the connection with Shelburne Bay, Garbarino taught the course exclusively in the classroom, covering aging topics including physiological, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual concerns, and how to minimize the risk of morbidity, functional decline and other health-related issues. It wasn’t until this year, however, that students saw how these issues played out in real life for seniors.
“Turning this into a service-learning course has completely changed the way students think about the elderly,” Garbarino says. “It has given them direct insight into the lived experience of elders in our community and helped dispel some of the myths people have about seniors. It has also provided students the opportunity to practice communication skills, creativity, and understanding of the many diverse needs of this population.”
Garbarino credits a training course he took with the Community-University Partnerships & Service Learning (CUPS) office with helping him redesign the gerontology course and nursing clinical instructor Brian Kelley, who played a key role in helping to integrate and run the service-learning activity. He says the CUPS office opened his eyes to the importance of students working in reciprocal partnerships with community partners and the rewards that come with it for both parties. The Shelburne Bay partnership was an extension of an existing relationship established by Rosemary Dale, clinical professor of nursing and chair of the department of nursing, that brings speakers from UVM to the 193-apartment community.
“Our recent partnership with UVM has brought great nurse programming to our residents,” says Dan Daly, executive director of Shelburne Bay. “The student program is praised by all our residents who have attended it. They feel like they have added value to the teaching of the students, and feel like the advice they have been able to give will help the students in the future. What I love is that the residents talk about what they have reviewed with the students days after the class, and look forward to what the next class will bring. It’s not just education that is being brought here, but an entire intergenerational program where everyone benefits.”