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Isaiah Chu
Professor Kohlen
FSN 315
1 December 2015

Volunteering Write Up/Reflection

Section 1: Background and Intro Material
Alzheimers is a progressive disease in which effected individuals gradually over a
number of years lose their memory and cognitive functions. In the early stages of Alzheimers,
the memory loss is not too bad, but as the disease progresses and worsens, individuals will not
be able to carry on normal conversation and cannot respond to their environment. Alzheimers is
not a normal part of aging and only 11% of individuals over the age of 65 have Alzheimers
(Alz.org/facts). In addition, there are two types of Alzheimers, late onset (age 65+) and early
onset (<65). Of the two, late onset is by far the most prevalent, with over 90% of Alzheimers
cases coming from late onset (WebMD). Another interesting fact about Alzheimers is that there
are more than 5 million people in the United States alone living with Alzheimers.
Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia, with about 70% of dementia cases
being Alzheimers (Alz.org). Although dementia in general is technically less severe than
Alzheimers, people living with dementia still experience symptoms such as loss of mental
functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning which can interfere with activities in
everyday life. Of the 5 million people in the United States living with some form of Alzheimers
or dementia, approximately 44% of them live in some times of nursing home (CDC).

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Although those living with Alzheimers dont need a special diet, they should still follow
a healthy diet in order to keep their body strong and to help prevent unwanted weight loss or
weight gain. This should include providing a well balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Another nutrition tip is to cut down on saturated and
trans fat found in foods such as butter, bacon, whole milk, etc. and include more
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, fatty fish, etc.
However, those living with Alzheimers should follow some simple rules in order to make
mealtimes easier. Some of these tips include limiting distractions, keeping the table setting
simple, distinguishing food from the plate, food texture/ difficulty to chew, checking food
temperature, and eating together (Alz.org). Of these, texture and temperature are probably the
most important. Many elderly people with Alzheimers often have dentures (and many of them
ill fitting), which makes chewing a hassle. On the other hand, temperature is another important
aspect because many elderly complain that foods are either too hot or too cold, and end up not
consuming the food altogether.

Section 2: Overview
The volunteering facility I chose to help out at was The Garden House in Morro Bay.
Garden House is basically a home for the elderly who suffer from diseases such as Alzheimers
and dementia. They opened 15 years ago in 2000 and is well known in the San Luis Obispo area
as one of the best places for elderly to go once their loved ones cannot care for them any longer.
During my time at Garden House, I performed a variety of tasks such as help setting up the
tables for lunch, spoon feeding a number of residents, playing cards with the residents, or just
chat and ask how they were doing. One of the activities that really opened my eyes about aging

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and something we learned in class is the difficulty some of the residents had with swallowing, or
dysphagia. One of the individuals named Ileane, aged 88 (who unfortunately passed away
during my time at Garden House), required spoon-feeding and had a bit of dysphagia.
Sometimes she would eat her food, but it would take upwards of 3 minutes for her to swallow
one little bite. Another activity I really enjoyed doing at Garden House was playing cards with
the residents. I would usually play Go Fish with three of the residents named Oscar, Richard,
and Hazel. Although the games would take awhile because I had to keep explaining the rules
and guidelines of the game, the time I spent with them was priceless and was truly rewarding
when I saw the smiles on their faces when I told them they won the game or if they did
something good. One other activity I did to help out during my time at Garden House was help
setup the table when it was time for lunch. I would help pour them their beverages and bring out
their plates of food. I was surprised at how polite most of the residents were, always saying
Thank You when I brought them something or refilled their drinks. One of the last things I did
was just general interaction and chatting with the residents. I remember one of the conversations
I had with a resident named Wally was very memorable. I went to visit on Veterans Day, and as
a veteran himself, he told me stories of him back when he was in the Navy and his time on the
ships travelling the world. He told me he travelled to Vietnam during the war and was actually
on the battlefield, seeing a number of his friends get shot, which was sad, but listening to his
story was exhilarating at the same time. Another memorable conversation I had was with Oscar,
who told me back in the day when he used to play minor league softball. He told me he was one
of the best pitchers in the game, and even played shortstop on special occasions. Being an avid
sports fan myself, I was intrigued when he told me the stories of him travelling around the
United States playing softball.

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Section 3: Learning Components

Learning about the elderly suffering from Alzheimers and dementia was a pretty good
experience and I learned a lot from it. One of the observations I saw when playing Go Fish with
the residents was the lack of memory they had after I repeatedly explained the rules of the game
to them. Although I would explain something 4-5 times, the three residents I played with were
still confused when it was their turn to play. I could almost certainly attribute this to their
Alzheimers; they cannot process short-term memory, which was why I had to continually
explain the rules to them. On the other hand, one of the nutritional assessments that I observed is
that the plates they serve during lunch are often well proportioned with a good ratio of protein to
carbs to veggies. I asked Velma (the chef) about how many calories the residents consume each
day and she said approximately 1700-1900 calories, depending if youre a male or female.
However, some of the residents who required spoon feeding oftentimes would not finish their
plates, which warranted the question of what if theyre malnourished. Another nutritional
assessment I observed is that during my time at Garden House, one of the residents named
Oscar would constantly ask for some hard candy. However, the staff would rarely offer him the
candy because they said hes been gaining weight. When the staff said this, I thought to
myself how could somebody gain weight from eating one piece of candy?

Section 4: Evaluation and Recommendations

My experience at Garden House interacting with the elderly first hand at Garden House
was a very rewarding and unforgettable experience. It really helped me learn about how
Alzheimers affects people and what it does to your short and long term memory. I really loved

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my entire time there, whether thatd be playing cards with the residents, or just general
conversation and learning about their past, everything was enjoyable and I will definitely be
visiting in the very near future. This experience has helped my education because before, I only
heard about Alzheimers/dementia on television or read about it in books, but after these couple
hours spent at Garden House, it has really opened my eyes on how these diseases really affect
people and how it eats away at your memory and such. In addition, visiting Garden House has
broadened my view on the world and has taught me to be grateful for everyday activities that I
take for granted, such as feeding myself or being able to walk. If I were to make one
recommendation to Garden House, it would be to have the residents have a bit more freedom. I
say this because many times I was there, some residents would want to go outside for a walk or
quick stroll around the corner. However, the staff would not allow this, which really confused
me because these people are on their last legs of life, so just let them enjoy their last couple
years was what I thought. Another recommendation I would give is to let the residents have
some treats once in a while. I say this because every single time I was there, a resident named
Oscar would nicely ask for a small piece of candy. However, he was always refused the candy,
since it would apparently cause him to gain weight. I thought to myself how could one little
price of candy cause somebody to gain weight. If it were up to me, I would just give Oscar the
candy and satisfy his sweet tooth, knowing he does not have many years left to live anyway.
Overall, my experience was very rewarding and I am very glad that I chose Garden
House as my volunteer agency. All of their staff was very knowledgeable about senior nutrition
and carried a professional demeanor. The interaction between the senior residents and myself
was very fun and gratifying, who I will certainly never forget. I will definitely be going back to

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Garden House on weekends to continue volunteering and spending more time with these senior
citizens

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Works Cited

Koenig, Benjamin. "Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia." Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia |
Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's Association, 05 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015

Presley, Jonathan. "Types of Alzheimer's: Early-Onset, Late-Onset, and Familial." WebMD.

WebMD, 17 Oct. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2015

"Alzheimer's Disease." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 08 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.

"Azheimer's Questions and Answers." Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas
Council, 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.