teaches Biology at Charlestown High School.
Students:Grade 9 Biology class
Charlestown High Health Center, Nurse Practitioner Robin Kevit
Sherrill House, Director of Nursing, Helen Brown, Nurse Practitioner Marie Esposito
| Classroom Activities | |
• |
Read & research aging & diseases that affect senior citizens |
| • | View PBS film The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's |
| • | Record reflections on the elderly in journals |
| • | Write essays about a personal experience with an elderly person |
| • | Agree to visit Sherrill House, a skilled nursing facility |
| • | Prepare pamphlets on elders' diseases & create Display Board encouraging peers to remember the elderly |
| Community Activities | |
• |
Discuss age related diseases & view visuals with school's Nurse Practitioner |
| • | Visit Sherrill House & attend presentation of anatomy & physiology of the aging body |
| • | Tour facilities with Director of Nursing |
| • | Participate & contribute to social activities for patients |
| • | Distribute pamphlets at Display Board during schoolwide Career Day |
| • | Encourage participants to consider careers in gerontology |
Response to this unit was amazing. The entire class participated. Even the most uncooperative students showed compassion as the unit progressed. . . . They shared fascinating stories about their grandparents and how their families care for them. I shared the story about my mother’s Parkinson’s disease and how she fell and broke her hip. She now resides at Sherrill House. Several students began to volunteer there. Others visited my mom who loved their company. . . . About half the class speculated on a possible career of working with the elderly. All concluded that elders need more attention and agreed to spend time helping them.
My experience at Sherrill House was interesting. It takes a lot of patience and caring to be there every day and not go a little crazy. But you can see in the eyes of the volunteers and staff members that they are committed and that they really enjoy their work. The elderly look forward to company. They like to tell their stories. They have a lot of activities set up for them and enjoy playing games or listening to big band music. Patients recovering from injuries and surgeries have recreational sports. They also experience physical therapy. All in all, I enjoyed our time there.
