Mindy Akins volunteered at a nursing home for her senior project, where she witnessed activity directors providing entertainment and social activities to improve residents' well-being. She helped with events like a fall festival and Christmas party. Mindy encountered challenges like an unhelpful project facilitator and restrictions on photographing residents, but was able to work around these issues. Through this experience, Mindy learned about the important role of activity directors and realized she wants to work with the elderly as a social worker rather than in a nursing home setting. She encourages others to volunteer their time to help older adults.

1. Activity directors are a valuable asset to the infrastructure of elderly communities. I'm
Mindy Akins, and for my senior project I volunteered at Canton Nursing Center. I only
witnessed a few of the many activities the activity directors do with the residents there. Activity
directors are responsible for the planning and implementation of activities for nursing home
residents. I experienced what it was like to be an activity director. I did programs with the
residents that encouraged socialization, provided entertainment, relaxation, fulfillment, and
improved their daily living skills.
Last year around this time, I went to Canton Nursing Center with a church group. We
brought some board games for us to play with the residents. One girl in the group brought her
guitar. Instead of playing the board games, the girl played her guitar and we sang to them. This
made the residents happier than any board game ever could. After we sang to them, we stayed
for a while and talked to them. I honestly believe that we made their day. It's amazing how much
of a difference we made. Most residents do not get any company, so just one visit from one
group... one person, even, can help so much. That's how I got the idea to volunteer at the nursing
home. I didn't just want to give them some activity to do. I wanted to be their friend.
I wanted to make a permanent memento of my time spent with the residents at the
nursing center. For each time I visited I assisted the activity director with different themed
activities, so I decided to make a scrapbook. A scrapbook is a creative way to show memories
you never want to forget. The pictures correspond with each time I went.
The first time I visited was October 29th. This was the day of the fall festival. The first
pages of the scrapbook are dedicated to this time, and I decorated the pages with a Halloween

2. theme. This is the pattern of how the rest of the book goes. I decorated the pages with a theme of
the activities we did that time I visited. The times I went go in order with the pictures.
(Presentation) At the fall festival the residents’ family came. There was food and games
for the children to play. I was in charge of the basketball booth. The kids would shoot the ball
and if they made the goal they would receive a prize.
At the Christmas party all the residents got presents. I helped pass the presents out and
write the residents names on their gift.
The next time I volunteered at the nursing center, it was just a regular activity day. I took
baby dolls to the residents’ rooms. They enjoyed them as if they were little girls playing with
baby dolls. After I was through with the activity, I stopped by some of the residents rooms and
talked to them. Asking them how they were and if there was anything I could do for them. I had
more fun this time than the previous times because I felt more involved with the activities and I
actually helped out.
The final time I volunteered was also a regular activity day, but it was more challenging
than all the rest. The first thing I did was take an assortment of colored rubber animals to Miss
Mildred. She likes to sort them into the same color group. Unfortunately she wasn't feeling well
that day, so I put the animals away and tried to comfort her as much as possible. Getting her
water and adjusting her pillow and just having a conversation with her. She told me I was a
sweet girl, as many of the residents have before, but it never fails to bring a smile to my face.
After my visit with Mildred it was time to move on to some other residents. I was given a sound
machine and was told to play the sounds on there and see if the residents could guess which
sound it was. After that, Miss Stacey, who is an activity assistant, and I went downstairs to set up

3. tables because a special lunch was being made for a few of the residents. I helped her carry and
unfold tables, move bins so there was room to put the tables, and I helped her set the tables. The
only thing left to do was getting the residents out of their rooms and down the elevator to eat.
After everyone was there, we ate hot dogs and fries and had a good time. Then I brought the
residents back to their rooms. I was happy to finally get an actual feel of what being an activity
director is all about. It wasn't a simple activity. It took a lot of time and effort.
My project facilitator was Shana Blackwell. She has been working at Canton Nursing
Center for several years and loves her job very much. I chose her because she is an actual
activity director, and has a lot of experience in being one. She wasn't as helpful as I would have
liked her to be. However, the two activity assistants were very helpful. Earlier I mentioned Miss
Stacey. The other assistant is Miss Rosetta. They are the ones that actually let me get involved
and help assist them.
My first problem occurred the first time I went to the nursing home for my project
facilitator to sign a paper. She told me about the parties the residents have, and for some reason I
started crying. I wasn’t even sure if I could do this as my senior project or not. But I decided to
be strong. You have to be a strong person to be an activity director. I was going to be strong and
brave for the residents. I wanted to make them happy like the first time I visited with the church
group. I was going to do this for my project. And now looking back, I’m glad I did.
Getting in touch with my project facilitator was also an issue. I had to call the nursing
home and kind of schedule a time to come and find out the activity we were doing. Every time I
called, someone at the front desk would answer and I was put on hold for several minutes before
Shana would answer the phone.

4. Another problem was Shana not letting me help assist her with the activities. It seemed
she wanted to do everything by herself.
I knew getting pictures was going to be a problem. I don't have a camera, and even if I
did I would still have to have someone present to take the pictures. A lot of people's schedules
didn't fit mine, so I had to work around that.
I soon found out that getting pictures wasn't going to be the only problem.
Shana was really strict about me taking pictures. I had to ask the residents if it was okay
for me to take their picture. Most of the time they said yes, but Shana still wasn’t okay with it.
This prevented me from taking the types of pictures I needed to take. I assisted Shana at the fall
festival and Christmas party, and at these activities I had to take many pictures of me doing the
same thing. When I assisted Rosetta and Stacey I had pictures of me helping out. It was a major
problem because pictures were my proof of me going to the nursing home. They were also my
product because of the scrapbook. I explained to Shana that it was essential for me to have
pictures but she wouldn't listen.
Scheduling became a problem too. Activities start early in the morning and end
midafternoon at about 4. I'm at school during that time so I couldn't possibly visit the nursing
center then. My only option was to go on breaks and weekends.
In the end I either overcame or worked around these problems.

5. The topic of my research paper was the problems with nursing homes. One problem with
nursing homes is the lack of staff. If there's not enough staff, residents will not get the attention
they need. Thankfully at Canton Nursing Center, the residents do participate in activities and
they are given attention. To many nursing home owners, nursing homes are a business. Less staff
means less pay and more money for the owners. That's why I think volunteering is so important.
Volunteering means no pay, and sadly, that's what many owners want. They care more about
money than old people’s well-being. A lot of staff workers at the nursing center asked if I was
working there. When I told them that I was volunteering there they got a surprised look on their
face and told me it was very nice of me to volunteer.
I enjoyed volunteering and plan to keep doing it. Not only did I help the residents, they
helped me. I felt a sense of calmness, gentleness, and love in their presence. Visiting them made
me happy, but sad at the same time. It makes me sad that they can't be with their families and it
makes me sad the next time I come, they might not be there.
During this process, I learned a lot. I never knew much about nursing homes. I didn't
know what an activity director was, or what they did. But I know now that it takes a lot of
planning an organizing to be an activity director.
I also learned something about myself. I didn't think I could go through with this. I
thought I would cry and be sad every time I went. I didn't cry and as long as they were happy I
was happy.
I came into this project not necessarily wanting to be an activity director or wanting to
work in a nursing home, but I knew I wanted to help. At the end of this process, I know for sure

6. what I want to be in life. I want to be a social worker. I still want to work with the elderly; I just
don't think a nursing home is the environment I want to be in every day.
I think it's very important to volunteer or help out. So lend a helping hand. You'll feel a
lot better than you ever thought you could.
Thank you judges for your time. Now I'll try to answer any questions you mayhave.