Project LINK- Gowin Park

 

By: Kristy Kolzow

 

1.)    I volunteered my time at Gowin Parc which is located in Mattoon, Illinois. Gowin Parc is a residential living facility for people with Alzheimer’s or other related dementia. This facility gives a secure home, environment, and service 24 hours a day. The staff create an environment that keep dementia patients functioning at their highest levels and maintain independence in every day living.

2.)    This activity really reflected concepts learned in my FCS courses. I just finished a three weekend class called Aging and the Family so going to Gowin Parc really put everything from my class into perspective. In this class we learned the different struggles that people go through during the aging process. FCS professionals work with people who are disadvantaged whether it is mentally, physically, or emotionally. Being at Gowin Parc and working with individuals who have Alzheimer’s or dementia really showed that.

3.)    While volunteering my time at Gowin Parc I networked with a couple different professionals. I first called Gowin Parc to talk about coming in to volunteer and I talked to a man named Doug. Doug told me I could come in any day of the week because they love to have volunteers. When I got there one of the girls that worked there was short staffed so I told her I would do anything that she needed. She and Doug then asked me if I would like a job here and handed me an application. So networking and going in to volunteer not only made me enjoy the experience at Gowin Parc but possibly just gave me a job for the Spring Semester.

4.)    If you go to the Gowin Parc website the first thing you can see is a quote and I felt like it explains the facility perfectly. It says, “We studied hundreds of conventional nursing homes… and then built the opposite.” This facility provides 24 hour care to disadvantaged elderly people. Some of the things they provide are a compassionate staff, a home like environment where neighbors are a part of a community, special lighting, memory boxes, indoor and outdoor track, and easy accessible bathrooms. The people who work here don’t let the people who they care for’s disability take over their life. Family members who can no longer take care of these individuals can bring them to a very warm and helpful environment without having to worry. They offer a quality of life.

5.)    I am really glad that we had to do this assignment. I have worked with children most of my life so this assignment really made me go out of my norms and work with a different group of people. It made me have so much love for the elderly and also made me want to go back and volunteer there more or possibly work there. You could tell that some of these people just wanted someone to talk to and I was that person to them. It not only made me feel good but also made me realize what facilities the Coles County area has. I didn’t know Gowin Parc existed until I did research to find a place to volunteer. It was an amazing experience to interact with all these different people for this assignment.