Interview questions

(note: these questions all apply to senior citizens living in Aegis)

1. Do many visitors that are teenagers visit and interact with the senior citizens often? The majority of teenage visitors come from our volunteer program. There arent many from our families that visit. 2. What are some activities teens and senior citizens can do together? Seniors and teens can enjoy quite a bit of activity togetherlegacy writing (memoir writing), Wii Bowling, Walking, Reminiscing, Technology (howto) cooking. Truthfully the number of activities is endless, the two simply need to find common ground. 3. How does positive social interaction benefit senior citizens health? Social interaction bolsters confidence and a feeling of value, both are crucial in staving off loneliness and depression. 4. What are some favorite activities senior citizens enjoy doing in Aegis? The list of activities is as long as my arm! This depends on each person We tailor our activities to the favorites of our current resident. To keep this information up to date we use their lifes stories (Interest profile) as an indicator of which activities to host. Learning activities are the easiest to encourage residents to attend. At this time we study a new country each month, and once a week we talk about that countryweve sampled food, watched videos, crafted and spoken the languages of the countries we study. 5. Are some senior citizens unwilling o socialize and interact with newcomers? Generally if a person is an introvert earlier in life, they will continue to be as they age. Some folks lessen their socialization with others to hide embarrassment. 6. What may be some causes for this unwillingness for interaction? Fear of the unknown, and a lack of social support. 7. How often do seniors spend time with each other? At Aegis, there are 90 residents; the majority of these folks interact on a regular basisespecially during meals, and activities.

8. Do seniors mostly operate on their own independent schedules? In our facility this depends on how independent, mobile, and what level of cognition a person possesses. Someone in the later stages of dementia will need more reminding and encouraging then someone who is in the earlier stages. 9. How do seniors feel about teenagers coming and interacting with them? Seniors and teenagers have a lot in commonespecially the desire for autonomy. Both groups experiences limitations on their autonomy, put in place by family members. Our seniors enjoy interacting with the younger generations. They enjoy sharing their lifes stories and experiences, learning new things. Those that listen and gain insight are highly sought after. 10. What are the typical age ranges of the residents? Our average age is 86. Ages range from 64-104 11. Are the seniors into the current pop culture and trends of teens/young adults? No they arent. They are most familiar and comfortable with the trends of their time period. 30s & 40s. 12. How do seniors feel about current technological innovations like video games that benefit physical health benefits, like the Wii? a. We play the Wii on a regular basis. They love bowling, and have tried tennis, and baseball. 13. Do senior citizens often go outside, and for how long? Sure they do. It just depends on the person. Some go out and take an afternoon nap in the sun, some do not. We encourage them to go out and get their vitamin D for the day, and to enjoy the grounds and our vegetable garden. 14. How are the living conditions in Aegis like? Staying at Aegis is like staying at a hotel. The main difference is that we provide assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) like tying your shoes, getting dressed, going to the bathroom, meal reminders etc.

15.What is a typical schedule for a resident? While this varies from person to personhere is an overgeneralized template of our day to day activities. 8:00- 9:30 Breakfast 9:30-10:00 Puzzles (Crosswords, Wordsearches etc.); Spirituality 10:15 Exercise (Tai Chi, Yoga, Aerobics, Stretching) 11:00 Cooking/ Walking/ Brain Stretches 12:00-1:00 Lunch 1:15-2:00 Humor Activity/ Watercolor, Brain Stretches 2:15 -3:15 Bingo 3:30-4:30 Beauty, Card Games, Crafting 4:30-5:00 Freshen up 5:00- 6:30 Dinner 6:00 Pet Visit/ Evening Movie

Thank you very much! Please answer these and email me back as soon as possible! please let me know if any clarifications are necessary. -Kathleen Wang