Brad Cook witnessed his great grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's disease in 2009, which had a profound impact on him. He has since volunteered at Cameron Hall assisted living center for over a year, helping with activities, meals, and talking with residents. Brad finds volunteering rewarding and hopes to continue doing so in college while pursuing a career in education. He has gained respect for senior citizens and sees the positive influence the center has had on residents' lives as well as his own.

1. Brad Cook

2.  Great Grandma
 Alzheimer’s 2009
 Life Changing
 Hard to understand
what was going on

3.  Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
 18 million worldwide with disease
 More than 50% of residents in a Nursing
Home or Assisted Living have a form of
Dementia or Alzheimer’s
 Seven Stages
› Hard to specify, Overlapping stages
› Care needed, symptoms, and behavior all
depends on the patient’s current stage of
the disease

4.  Calling and talking with owners,
managers, and employees of the
centers
 Comparing and contrasting different
centers
 Explaining why I was interested in
volunteering

6.  Memory Clinic
 Friendly Environment
 Location
 Project Facilitator
 It’s an Assisted Living Center, NOT a
Nursing Home
› Independence
› Comfort in knowing there’s help

7.  Ruth Payne
 Activities Director
 Mother stayed at
Cameron Hall
 Activities Director
 10 years of
experience

8.  Bring happiness into the resident’s lives
 Show the Senior Citizens that teenagers
do care about them
 Invest into the resident’s lives
 Volunteer work
 Make friendships
 Learn from Elders
 Participate in Activities

9.  Volunteering at Cameron Hall and
making an impact in the lives of the
residents
› Helping clean, talking with residents,
participating in activities/events, serving
meals, etc.
 Ultimately, I will be presenting Cameron
Hall with a scrapbook, so that they can
look back and reminisce on the past
year that I have been with them

10.  Mostly common sense, although often
overlooked
› Touching person’s hand or forearm when
talking to them
› Talking loudly and clearly (it’s not rude)
› Cleanliness and sanitary
› Never put yourself in a “situation”
› Be patient, some residents can be very
repetitive

11.  Coordinate and participate in Activities
with residents, such as:
› Parties, dinners, games, crafts, etc.
 Talking with residents
› Having someone to talk to makes a huge of
difference
› Listening to stories about their life
› Simply having company

15.  Keeping priorities set straight
 Finding the right place to go
 Having patience with the residents
 Not doing well with spur of the moment
plans and decisions
 The death of my Nana

16.  Attend Point University to run Cross
Country and pursue a career in Middle
Grades Education
 Continue volunteering at Cameron Hall
 Form a club in college at which we will
also volunteer at a local Nursing Home

17.  I would love to pursue this further,
however only as a volunteer
 I have gained a huge amount of respect
and patience for all Senior Citizens.
 All you have to do is listen, and you can
learn so much
 Amazed at the impact Cameron Hall
has made in my life
 Thankful for such a life changing
opportunity

18.  Are there any questions?