ABOUT ME
Divya Vikram
Hello,
My name is Divya Vikram and I am a junior at Alpharetta High school. I have been a Girl Scout for over 9 years. The experiences I have had by being a Girl Scout have allowed me to become a leader and grow as a person; it has taught me to make an impact to make the world a better place. With this project, I have earned my Gold Award project which is the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, and chosen as one of the 6 Council of Distinguished Women. My mission is to minimize the suffering faced by dementia patients in memory care facilities.
Starting out as a young Girl Scout, my troop and I spent a lot of time volunteering at senior homes where we played simple games such as bingo. On my first day, I was nervous during the 10-minute drive from my house to the memory care home, as I had never interacted with memory care patients before. As soon as I entered, I was welcomed and I felt more relaxed. After signing in on the volunteering sheet and walking past this beautiful living space with a grand piano, I entered the small dining area where there were enlarged bingo sheets and other materials already set up. In the dining area, there was a table where the care providers bought all the residents who wanted to play. Once the residents arrived, I helped them sit down one by one. I was glad to know that they all knew how to play bingo, as that made me feel more comfortable. As I started calling out the numbers, time flew. We only played two rounds, but it felt like I had only spent a few minutes. Playing with these seniors made my day.
The feeling of joy that I gained from adding some color to a few lives motivated me to decide to go back every week. While doing activities was fun, I heard about the impact music had on Dementia care residents. Soon enough I started playing the piano for the residents and I played songs that they knew. For example, "You Are My Sunshine" was a popular song among the residents so I always played that and they sang along with smiles on their faces. This brought tears to me eyes as it was a joy that words cannot describe.
Seeing the impact I had on these residents, I decided to go in every week. Being able to alleviate their pain of being confused and lonely due to Dementia, I discovered a newfound passion in me lighting a spark to help those with dementia.
MY PROJECT DETAILS
My project is aimed at increasing awareness of various types of Dementia such as Alzheimer’s while showing ways to help those in assisted living facilities. Dementia affects the brain and causes the loss of cognitive functioning such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning. Although there is no cure to dementia, currently, there is medical research that shows how to slow down dementia or improve its symptoms.
To provide better care and a better environment for individuals suffering with Dementia, their families and loved ones consider placing them into an assisted living facility where professionals are equipped with the necessary tools to take care of those with Dementia. Often times, residents are agitated because they do not feel in control of themselves. Sometimes, the facilities heighten their discomfort because they are not surrounded by their family, but rather random strangers.
My project is specifically designed to help these elderly individuals with Dementia in assisted living facilities globally, by starting with local residents in my community. There are many root causes which impair the better care and environment at Dementia care facilities such as lack of activities and entertainment in facilities, limited time with family, and faculty at facilities not knowing the stories of the patients. Through my project, I will address these issues in order to help those with dementia lead a better life. Working with a local assisted living facility, I have created a picture collage that tell a short story of each person’s life. It will help sustain residents' memories and allow them to not feel alone. This collage will also tell the story of their lives to the care providers that work with them. Instead of seeing them as just another patient, the book will help care providers connect with residents. By knowing about their life, the care providers can also better engage with them.
I have created a music book to leave at the local facility so that other volunteers who can play music can also entertain the residents, while also creating a book of activities for volunteers to engage with the residents. Music helps activate different parts of the brain, allows residents to recognize music from childhood, and decreases agitation and aggressive behavior by increasing motivation and positive emotions. This music book can be further improved or localized based on language or regional requirements.
To help standardize a basic understanding before volunteering, I have developed a training video for volunteers so they know what to expect when volunteering and it will motivate them to help residents. I have also worked with a local memory care facility and school clubs in order to establish a connection, so people are encouraged to help out.
I have attached the resources I have developed on this website. By sharing this I hope others will act and help love those suffering with dementia. They can implement these ideas, thereby helping those with dementia in assisted living facilities globally.
Through this project I aspire to "make the world a better place" as stated in the Girl Scout Law. By taking on this project I know I will not be able to fix the entire problem, but by doing something I hope tp create a change, no matter how small or big it is. By taking action, I can help better this world and also motivate others to take action as well.