Seniors Celebrating Seniors

May 26, 2020

What Advice Would You Give the Graduating Class of 2020?

We asked our NextGen sites to ask their resident’s the Beautiful Question, “What Advice Would You Give the Graduating Class of 2020?” Their responses are wise and heartwarming.

From Friendsview Residents in Memory Care in Newberg Oregon:

“Keep setting goals the journey in not over!”

“Everyone is different and that’s ok, we all get to where we need to be when the time is right.”

“Keep going kids! The hill gets higher!”

“Be proud but be humble!”

We even got some audio clips of elders sharing some advice to the class of 2020. Click below to hear Marie and Shirley from Jewish Family Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

Certain sites that we worked with hosted a Student Artist in Residence (SAIR). These SAIR’s lived and worked at their care communities for an entire academic year. Residents (or neighbors to the SAIRs) became very close to these students and built strong relationships. Elders from Laurel Oaks in Glendale, WI shared with us some heartfelt thanks to their SAIR, Angela Swan:

“Angela was very creative and personally helpful to residents at Laurel Oaks. She excelled at getting residents involved in art projects using a variety of media to engage us. She also organized a trip for residents to an interesting art gallery on the South side which we thoroughly enjoyed. Her memory here will be happily remembered by the many decorations she led residents to create and which she used to beautify our large building”
– Ed & Gloria
 
“Angela was the spark who brought life to this place. Everyone benefited by her being here. Within a short time she knew everyone’s name. We were not strangers anymore. She had the energy a lot of us had lost. We will never forget her but we have lost the spark we had. The pandemic has changed our lives but I am sure Angela would have had us up and running. Never saying never is never.”
-Gladys