Doing Angelic Work On The Physical Level: A Volunteer’s Story

I love the way Pearl Estrada describes her volunteer service at a nursing home. She says it’s like “doing angelic work on the physical level.” Isn’t that beautiful?

Today, Pearl offers us a glimpse into her experience with Bessie’s Hope. This award-winning organization brings elders and volunteers together to form mutually rewarding relationships.

With headquarters in Colorado, Bessie’s Hope is celebrating 25 years of enhancing the quality of life for nursing home and assisted living residents. These are a few of their many programs:

• Teaming up at-risk youth with elders who share a desire to be needed and valued
• Providing volunteer families with the opportunity to adopt an elder who has few visitors
• Introducing young people to jobs and careers centered around working with the elderly
• Matching students and other youth groups with elders who serve as their “grandpartners”
• Making dreams and wishes come true for nursing home and assisted living residents
• Inviting community organizations and businesses to develop long-term relationships with elders

For more information about this incredible organization, please visit their website. Now, on to Pearl’s story.

 

• Please tell us a bit about how you became involved with Bessie’s Hope.

After finding my current job that gave me a stable schedule, I discovered that I now had some free time on my hands. I realized I could volunteer my time in establishing meaningful contacts with people who really appreciate me being there for them.

At that point, I did a Google search for volunteer opportunities. There were many to choose from. We could help in food lines for the homeless, animal shelters, clean up crews, the list goes on.

However, I felt the need to form deeper connections by volunteering to visit an elderly person. My Google search brought up Bessie’s Hope which is exclusively centered on helping the elderly.

 

• How did you form a connection with the elder you now visit?

On my first visit, I met with different elderly to find a good or a few good matches. The nursing home determines who would benefit from having a visitor depending on their personal circumstances. I was allowed to choose to visit one or more depending on my time and ability.

During the follow-up visits, I got to spend time with a few people out of a list of many. Then, I naturally narrowed it down to one person.

I found many odd coincidences when getting to know her and the nursing home. More about that later.

 

• What do you like best about your role as a Bessie’s Hope volunteer?

I honestly feel that I am not the one helping out. My elderly person is the one helping me out.

She sheds light on many experiences that I have gone through in life. It is due to her patience, listening, and understanding that I am able to find out who I am and find that inner voice.

She speaks from experience. All I have to do is ask open-ended questions and really listen for her responses. I am quite sure she loves sharing her stories, too.

 

• Describe some of the challenges you face as a volunteer.  

One challenge is finding moments to speak with the staff regarding the elderly person I visit. They are usually very busy and focused on their many duties to be accomplished each and every day.

Second, you need to have empathy for the person you visit. Some days they appreciate being awakened from sleep to find someone came to visit. Other times, they are not in the mood for visitors. Also, they might forget and think you are staff, asking for various things or information and not interact much.

On a number of occasions, they might be confused. They need reassurance that they are in a safe place and have people around to help them.

We must never take their bad days personally. Mood swings are normal for people suffering from various ailments.

 

• How do Bessie’s Hope volunteers enrich the lives of nursing home residents?

Bessie’s Hope enriches the lives of the elderly by finding and providing human connections and interactions. No matter our age, we all need people. We need to feel and know we each are cared about and matter to somebody.

Many elderly people might not have visitors. They also do not have the freedom or ability to venture out on their own.

I don’t know about you, but when I’ve spent a few days hibernating from the world, at some point I start to feel lonely and bored. But, I do have the option to go out and start interacting with life and others again.

I can imagine how frustrating another person may feel having that freedom taken away. This might be for their own safety, due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, compounded by the fact of limited mobility.

Bessie’s Hope reaches out to these people through their engagement with the elderly community. It could be compared to doing angelic work on the physical level.

 

• How does volunteering at the nursing home enrich your life personally?

Like most adult children, mine are very busy starting out on their independent paths. While I’m grateful for this, at times it can leave me feeling alone.

Rather than searching for companionship in places like work or social meet-up places, I decided to spend that time visiting an elderly person in a nursing home.

 

• Is there a favorite story you would like to share with our readers?

Here’s a personal story I wish to share with you. It’s about the synchronicities we find if you are receptive to receiving them.

My numerical address is the same as the nursing home I visit. I spoke to my mom about this, and it turns out that this nursing home was my mom’s first job! She knew the place inside and out. My mom met my dad while working there. I was to follow thereafter while she was still working there.

The elderly person I visit used to work where I am currently working. We grew up in the same neighborhood. Both of us remember the sound of the night train and the feeling that used to fall over the house as night crept in.

We both remember many of the same goods and bads in different life experiences. Please know that we have never met before in this life and we are not related. Yet, we both have a relation to the area we grew up in and the world at large.

 

• What advice would you give to someone interested in volunteering in a nursing home?

You might accidentally find yourself in the dealings with another person. Be open to the possibilities!

 

• Is there anything else you would like to add?

I once asked my maternal grandmother as a small child, “Grandma, how does it feel to be old?” I loved her response. “I feel like I am still 16 in my mind but my body doesn’t work the way it used to.”

 

Pearl Estrada is the proud mom of 6 lovely children. Her two oldest look forward to starting college this coming spring semester. During her career, Pearl taught all grade levels for 18 years in Egypt. As a result, Arabic is her second language. Pearl’s hobbies include CrossFit and hitting golf balls at Top Golf. She adores the great outdoors and also loves mentoring and life coaching.