I volunteered at Emory University’s A. G. Rhodes Nursing Home. I wrote about my experience for the American Medical Directors Association and I also wrote an abstract that was accepted for the American Geriatrics Society Conference.

I really enjoyed this experience because it allowed me to get a realistic view of the medical field. Interacting with the patients was the main highlight of this experience. I painted their nails, sang for them, and took them wherever they needed to go. Sometimes I just spent time talking to them. The patients always had wisdom to offer. During this experience, I learned about doll therapy in which dementia patients are given baby dolls in hopes that they develop emotional connections to the dolls. The patients will often name their dolls. This treatment may help stagnate the condition of the patient’s dementia.

The links to my article:

https://www.caringfortheages.com/article/S1526-4114(22)00474-7/fulltext

https://www.caringfortheages.com/article/S1526-4114(22)00474-7/pdf

The link to my abstract:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jiQZZ39ywUDdfuaNryPUlSVu-XIdfpeaB6VCzqe-6xo/edit?usp=sharing

The above abstract has been selected for a poster presentation at the 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society from May 3-6 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA. It will also be published in the American Medical Directors Association Journal (AMDA) and presented at AMDA’s annual conference in March 2024.