Ambassadors for Elders
It's November already! We find the Eggs getting ready to plan their new service project for the next two months. They are going to focus on the elderly residents of Albumen.
Albumen Omelette Oasis
Reggie awoke to several sneezes as he and his mom got ready to drive to the airport to pick up Peggy. His mom felt his forehead to make sure he didn't have a fever, Reggie assured her he was fine, and the two drove off to pick up Peggy.
The next day, the Eggs were in school as Ms. Poach explained the second service project. The Eggs will be helping elderly Eggs at the Albumen Omelette Oasis, a beautiful facility that helps people who need special care with everyday activities. They were excited to be a part of it!
Megg was especially excited because she had a great uncle who lived there, Uncle Yolkus. Coach Flo also has a great aunt that lives at the Oasis. Megg wondered if they knew each other.
Reggie sneezed again several times as Ms. Poach was talking. "Reggie, I hope you're not coming down with a cold. Elderly Eggs can catch colds very easily."
"I'm fine, Ms. Poach," Reggie replied.
She finished explaining about the service project. The Eggs would be helping the residents with Saturday activities.
Getting Started
Saturday arrived. The Eggs were given a tour of the facility and were quite impressed. They saw a work-out room, a dining room, a spa, a lovely garden, a chess/checkers room, shuffleboard, crafts, music and a library.
"Wow - they sure take care of their residents here," remarked Seggourney with a smile.
Meeting the Relatives
After the tour, Coach Flo brought the Eggs to his Great Aunt Flo's room. She greeted her with a hug and a kiss, and introduced everyone. Her soft, brown eyes glowed lovingly at the Eggs. She asked them if they would help sing in the holiday concert that was coming up. The Eggs were delighted to be part of it - Great Aunt Flo assured them they would have plenty of time to practice!
Then Seggourney noticed the beautiful paintings on the wall. She was amazed to find out that Great Aunt Flo painted them herself! She offered to give Seggourney some lessons.
Reggie excused himself and went into the hallway to sneeze again. Great Aunt Flo remarked that it sounded like he had an allergy . . .
Next, Megg brought the Eggs to her Great Uncle Yolkus' room. He immediately started joking with the Eggs and began to tell his wild stories that he was known for! They listened intently and wanted to hear more, when Reggie sneezed again! He felt bad for not excusing himself and Uncle Yolkus assured him he was as healthy as a horse!
The Eggs were also excited to know that Great Aunt Flo and Great Uncle Yolkus were good friends at the Albumen Omelette Oasis.
Family Activity
When we are children everybody seems old – even thirty and forty-year-olds! For children, there is often “old” and “really old.” It is important for children to be able to relate to the elderly, to understand their needs, and to learn from their wisdom. By doing so, they begin to understand the great circle of life. Unfortunately, there are a great number of lonely and sometimes forgotten elderly in today’s world.
As human beings, we have a duty to reach out to those who have no one and those not cared for by their own loved ones. As parents who teach our children about the importance of caring for and respecting the dignity of the elderly, we also have the benefit of preparing them to hopefully care for us one day. Consider searching some population charts and statistics – in the United States, the Census Bureau (www.census.gov) is a great place to start. Help your child or class to see the distribution of different ages within the country, your state, and maybe even your city. This can be very eye-opening for children especially since most of their lives are spent around others their age.
Ask questions like, why do you think there are so many people within each of the age categories? Ask them why it is important to have people in all of the categories. Encourage them to ask questions. Remember, if you don’t have the answers, the internet will probably provide an answer or at least an opinion. The existence of the internet and technology is a great conversation to have with children, especially since the elderly have spent most of their life and for sure their childhood without such advances. To learn more specific information on statistics of the aging go to the Administration on Aging (www.acl.gov).
See you next time with another visit to the Oasis!
Wishing you all GOOD things,
Sandy
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