Visiting a Nursing Home

When we got there, we asked if we could visit 3 or 4 rooms for a little bit, but was lucky enough to get there for activity time.  All the residents there were together in the activity room watching a show and sitting together.  So we got to visit with everyone.

This here’s Maria. 

Jaidyn and I absolutely fell in love with her.  Jaidyn cried after talking with her ‘cause Maria was so helpless and sweet.  We sat with her a bit, and held her shaking hand and looked into her eyes and asked her her name.  All she would say over and over again was MAAARRRIIIIAAAA and anytime you asked her anything else, the answer would be MAAARRRIIIIAAAA.  Maria couldn’t control her movement.  Her hands, arms, and head were shaking the whole time as she said her name to us.  It’s amazing how you start out helpless when you come into this life and then grow old and helpless like a baby when you leave this world.  A lot of them had Alzheimer's Disease. 

The kids each packed a bag full of treats and pictures they colored, to hand out, but they put an apple in there too.   

Note to self:  the residents of nursing homes have no idea what to do with an apple ‘cause most of them have no teeth. 

But Maria had tears in her eyes when Jaidyn handed her an apple and a Christmas scented candle.  We passed a couple Christmas church messages to be read to them later, and a cd full of fun Christmas songs that we played there while we visited.  The kids had a great time.  We sang Christmas songs, danced with them a little, and sang I am a Child of God and Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, requested by Dagen.  It was the best experience ever.

 

Lona was Mike and Kallie’s favorite.  They spoke with her for a long time and she followed Kallie around everywhere after that. 

We fell in love with a few others…. Herbert, Helen, Lyla, Phillip, and Isaac’s favorite, Leon.  We didn’t want to leave.