For TOKTWD I went to work with my mom who works at a retirement group home.

During my visit there, I got to experience many things. When we arrived my Mom’s boss gave me a tour of the building and some information about the residents day to day life’s. There are six people who live in the group home. Everyday their routine stays the same. They wake up, take their medicine, eat their breakfast, free time (karaoke, movies, bingo etc.), community outing (mall, bowling, library etc.), go back to the retirement home and eat lunch, take their medicine again, more free time, then they eat dinner, and lastly the workers prepare them for bed. On Nov 1st, I got to experience how their routine goes everyday. To start, I watched my mom serve the seniors their breakfast. Because some are not cable to feed themselves like others, my mom and her co-workers had to assist those who needed assistance. After breakfast, I  helped host a game of BINGO which was super fun to observe. When the game of BINGO finished, I went out with my Mom, her co-workers, and a few of the residents to Tim Hortons. Some of them bought coffee and donuts while others were reading a book and just tagged along with us. Lastly, I got to see their night time routine. Something different I got to see was a ceiling lift.  Since some residents are unfortunately in wheelchairs they are not capable to get into their beds; however, the workers are not able to carry them into the bed, so they use the ceiling lift to get them in and out of the bed.

Pictures Of The Workplace:

This is where the residents eat, play games etc.

This is what their bathtub looks like. Since the seniors do not have the strength to sit up, the tub has a chair for them to lay on.

1. What did you hear, see, smell, and feel in the work environment on Nov. 1st?

When I first arrived at work it was very noisy. There was a group of seniors singing “I have A Dream” by ABBA while another group of seniors was playing BINGO in the room next door. I saw three seniors sitting on deck chairs outside and they were talking to each other while they were drinking coffee. In the work environment I felt happy and sad at the same time. I felt happy because I never really understood what my mom does, and it was amazing to see her take care of other people who cannot do it themselves. It was sad to see how the seniors could not take care of themselves anymore. They needed someone to feed them, bathe them, help them get in and out of bed etc. However, I am glad that there are people like my mom who can help them.

2. What about the environment would motivate you to wake up every day to attend work?

Something that would motivate me to wake up every day to attend work is having a simple conversation with the seniors, seeing them smile when they see us arrive at work, and empowering them to make their life as normal as possible. When my mom and I arrived at the retirement home, I saw this lady named Donna and when she saw my mom her face lit up and she was smiling from ear to ear spreading her arms for my mom to hug her. Having a conversation with them would also motivate me to attend work. While I was observing my mom working with one of the seniors, they were having a simple conversation together about how their day was. Even if it were just a hello or how are you, I could tell it meant something more to them. Trying to empower them also motivates me to show up to work. When I say empower, I mean to intergrade them into the community. Just because some of them have disabilities does not mean they are not normal like we are.

3. What about the work environment would discourage you from waking up every day to attend work?

Something that would discourage me from waking up every morning to attend work is nothing. Nothing would discourage me from going to work at the retirement home because they made my visit feel like I was at a family gathering and everyone was having fun. I was helping my mom host a game of bingo and everyone was having so much fun including me. When someone got a bingo, their smiles could light a room up it was the sweetest thing ever.

4. What is ONE thing you found interesting about your workplace visit?

One thing I found interesting about my workplace visit was that the seniors had their own chores to do. I found this interesting because I did not expect them to have chores. Some of them would take out the recycling, fold clothes etc. When they do their chores like folding the laundry, obviously it is not as neat; however, they assign them chores to make them feel normal. As I said, their mission is to integrate them into the community and that starts by letting them do stuff that we do even if it is not to the best of their ability.