- The document summarizes the author's internship experience working in the activities department at Lasell Village, a retirement community. - As an intern, the author helped lead activities for residents of the skilled nursing facility, maintained records, and communicated with supervisors. - The author gained experience working with older adults, recognized their own ageist biases, and developed professional relationships at the internship site. - Completing this internship experience helped prepare the author for a future career in psychology by providing hands-on work assisting residents and self-reflection.

1. Fallon Comrack
Final Reflection Paper
The agency for which I worked as an intern is Lasell Village, a non-profit college-affiliated
retirement community. Previous to my internship, I was an observer and a participant of formal
lifelong learning in courses completed alongside some of the residents, due to Lasell's community-
based educational structure. More specifically, I work in the Activity Department of Lasell House
which is located on the third floor of The Village; I am currently the only intern working for this
agency. Lasell House involves a skilled nursing program as well as a rehabilitation center where
people go for physical therapy.
The Assistant Activity Director and myself are responsible for gathering the residents of the
third floor to participate in stimulating activities. The activities that we implement provide a
positive atmosphere in which social, physical, intellectual, creative and peaceful enjoyment can be
explored by all participants. Tasks also involve record keeping, attention to the environment, use of
supplies and equipment, and maintenance of storage areas. Two projects that my supervisor and
professor encouraged me to complete independently included: two interviews with employees of the
agency in a department other than the one for which I worked, and organizing/leading my own
activity.
Meetings with my Supervisor (who is also the Activity Director), Carla Pepka, were held
weekly and as needed so we could regularly touch base and discuss my progress as an intern in the
Activities Department. In these meetings, I have the opportunity to ask her any questions and
give/receive feedback about the work being completed. We also regularly e-mail back and forth
about projects, resources, and contracts for the Seminar.The relationship I have formed with my
supervisor at Lasell Village contributed to the positive feelings I have towards my internship
overall. I feel comfortable communicating with her about any experiences relevant to my work; she
is a very understanding and kind person while still remaining professional.
I also worked side-by-side with Marisa Simeone, who is the Assistant Activity Director and
my mentor. I have formed a positive relationship with Marisa; she was a role model to me because
we could empathize with each other about more than just work-related experiences. I really got to
know her and enjoyed the time I spent, while working as an intern simultaneously.
My internship site allows me to be an observer and a participant of cultural, social, and
recreational lifelong learning opportunities. My internship is not only a job relevant to my future
career, but it is emotionally fulfilling to be able to help people. I would definitely recommend this
internship site to other interns from Lasell College. Carla and Marisa appreciate the help of
motivated interns and I know that there are activity intern positions available in the "Lasell Studios"
as well. There are also interns involved in The Village's online presence/ office work and the Fuss
Research Center.
As an activity assistant, one of my objectives was to understand why there is a need for
activities in the residents' everyday lives. In a residential care facility, older adults are more
susceptible to loneliness because of the decrease in meaningful relationships available to them.
These relationships are directly correlated to the person's self-worth. The confirmation of a person's
self-worth is the result of these connections with others, and the main way in which they occur is
through their engagement in activities.
Another objective of mine was to learn the regulations that long-term care facilities practice,
in relation to the skilled nursing programs and independent living that takes place in residential care
facilities. The changing age demographics require our society to make an adjustment that
incorporates lifelong learning, as more people are living longer. This change would create a
potential resource for the industry and economy as a whole -- if older adults are able to continue
contributing to society even in their later years. Lasell Village and agencies alike practice policies
and a continuum of care model that is essential in making this adjustment.
An expanding emphasis on elderly care would benefit the population itself by giving them
more opportunities towards the end of their lives, leading to greater satisfaction with them. The

2. elderly population's perspective on residential care facilities is as a last option. They struggle to
surrender their independence in a time of their lives when they experience other substantial losses,
such as their cognitive and physical health. Since the responsibility for older adults' safety is the
number one priority as they age, they may have no other option besides a residential care facility.
An additional objective I had in the completion of my internship was to maintain effective
communication with older adults, my supervisor, the assistant activity director and other
professionals in the agency. Part of this objective was also to build professional relationships within
the agency, interpersonal relationships with the residents, and extend my business, personal, and
social networks. I did so throughout the internship by attending weekly meetings, voicing any
questions or opinions that were relevant to my higher-ups, and most importantly, by seeing myself
as a professional.
Prior to this seminar, I had experience interning for the activity department of Lasell
Village. One of my biggest challenges last time was maintaining this communication with my
supervisors and coming in consistently. This time around, I definitely addressed that problem. I
learned the true meaning and value of forming professional relationships and how they might be
useful to me in the future.
As I reflect on my role as a helper, I realize that I learned and practiced a lot of behaviors
that enhanced my effectiveness. I am sociable, patient, empathetic, and easy to get along with. I
actively improved my communication with this population through the use of techniques such as
avoiding "baby talk", mirroring the residents in my responses to them, and using body language and
touch to make them more comfortable with me. It was also comforting for the residents to know
that there would almost always be a familiar face in the activities room to take their attention away
from their declining health. I have let go of any preconceived ageist ideas I previously internalized
about the elderly, as everyone does. This goes to show that I am nonjudgmental and fit for a long-
term Psychology career in the future.
Through my work with these residents, I formed more of an emotional bond and attachment
to them than I did a professional relationship. For example, in the instance that the resident is not
getting the attention they need, I felt guilty for not being able to help them because I know them on
a more intimate level than their nurse might. Oftentimes the nurses and nurse's aids would neglect
the patients in the Activity Room because they are temporarily distracted. This would often lead to
anxiety and discomfort in the residents -- making my job more difficult. These emotions diminish
my effectiveness as a professional helper because they impact how I analyze and there for act in
certain situations. By recognizing this I know how much more work I still have to do in terms of
skills development.
If I had to do it all over again I would not change anything about how effectively I worked.
Although I could have detached myself emotionally in order to act more professionally while
dealing with residents, I feel that I would not have my new outlook towards older adults that is no
longer ageist. It's easy to group and stereotype people in a setting as such, but by having an open
mind I was able to see the residents for who they really are -- instead of what they might be (sick,
old, tired) and letting that control my perceptions. Experiencing the struggles of older adults first-
hand put my own problems in perspective.
A course that was directly related to my internship this semester was the Internship Seminar
for Psychology majors. Taking that seminar class, as well as this one, allowed me to go more in
depth in my work than I even knew possible. Going into this seminar, I thought that I already knew
everything there was to know about my internship, but I was definitely proven wrong. As the first
seminar was focused more on the mental health aspect of the residents, this seminar was more
focused on me and what I can do for my potential career by using what I learned from this
experience. This seminar forced me to take a different approach and it really opened my eyes to its
relevance in my future.
Another course that was related to my internship was Aging in America, taught by Professor
Montepare. This was one of the classes I have had in which the residents were my classmates. The
topic of the class was great preparation for my internship because I did not have much previous

3. experience with this population, and the course material revolved around it. It brought to my
attention how prevalent ageism is in our society and in myself -- we hear about sexism and racism
all the time but ageism is not something I would have otherwise been aware of. In my Aesthetics
Philosophy course, there were also residents who were my fellow classmates. Finally, my Case
Management and Human Services classes prepared me for interacting with clients such as the
residents, using psychological techniques and practicing empathy in all professional situations.
My biggest achievement in completing my internship was just that -- completing it! I've
learned so much during my experience. After working so hard during the Spring semester to try to
pass and still not meeting the requirements, I thought that my foundation internship would never
end. But I am proud of myself for pushing through and finishing up the hours and the summer
seminar. Future Lasell interns should definitely consider the position in the Activities Department
of Lasell House! My supervisor and mentor are extremely personable and easy to work for/with, it's
a laid back setting where you can come and go freely, and it's very rewarding work. Interns should
keep in mind the phrase "communication is key" while working for whatever agency they may
choose. It is SO true and SO vital to their success.