Some Difficulties Present

Coming into the Villa to help out was an exciting event that Mena and I could look forward to, however; some difficulties have become easier said than done. The time spent with the patients is limited since we have to be accompanied by a nurse, who is also following her normal routines. The activities we implement with them are simply to make them work out, help them with their daily needs and the time left over is limited to ask questions since they may be tired or eating.
Although the time spent throughout the daily working hours are satisfying to help out the time to sit down and talk to them is harder than you may think. When you talk to them most of the time you have to yell since the hearing abilities aren't as great as a younger persons. The repeated questions make them tired and most of the time don't understand so they simply smile or shake their head back and forth to indicate a "no". Further complications arise when you can finally sit and talk to one of the younger elderly people there. This is easier since they love to talk but they may not always be giving you the correct responses.
For example, if I asked a question about their life and they give me a story about the trials and tribulations I jot down notes. Then when I ask the nurse if they had any knowledge of the patients life they ask me what I found out. And to my surprise on more than one occasion the nurse will tell me that the story is incorrect.
It is quite draining when they say this because I get into the story and find the things of an entirely different generation fascinating while some of the patients don't remember making it more trouble some to get the correct information. Don't get the wrong idea and think we don't have valuable information for these people because we do, it is just that on several attempts to get a bigger life story the person gets confused and then the story becomes invalid.
To be fair these people have been through a lot and perhaps the questions go back to far for them to remember or just that age and time together has caused a reaction and they simply don't remember.
Whichever the case, the ones who you do find that can remember their stories are fascinating pieces of art and although we have to ask more people in the end it will be worth it.
These are the difficulties we have while working at the Villa but we remain encouraged to find out more and thanks to the staff we can ask and make sure the stories are reliable.