A rewarding day for students and seniors
The free vision exams which were offered at Seniors' Day were particularly helpful to one participant, who has since booked an appointment with her eye surgeon.
Working with community seniors through the Douglas College Centre for Health and Community Partnerships (CHCP) recently gave students an opportunity to shatter stereotypes while getting some valuable hands-on experience.
"The seniors I met today are starting a whole new chapter in their lives - they're not letting age get in their way of enjoying life," said Huda Nooh, a Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) student.
"They're really active and outgoing," she added as she made sandwiches and soup in a Health Sciences home lab, while three seniors taught Therapeutic Recreation (TR) students some dance steps.
HCSW, TR and Dispensing Optician (DOPT) students worked together during the CHCP event, during which 38 seniors from the Tri-Cities community came to the campus to cook, exercise and have their vision checked.
Del Holbrook of Coquitlam, who participated along with his wife Angela, said the event helped to "bridge the generation gap."
"It allows older people to understand what young people are learning and gets us to stay young. It was very interactive and relaxing," said Holbrook.
For students, it was a chance to work as part of an interdisciplinary team. "Building a rapport with HCSW students for instance is important because I'll be working hand-in-hand with them when I graduate. It's vital to have a strong relationships," said TR student Kim Knudsen.
It was also an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in the classroom. "It's good to apply the theory we've learned in textbooks. For example, we've seen people with cataracts and could show them how they start," said DOPT student Parvaneh Ghanbari.
In fact, one community senior discovered she may need a touch-up on the cataract surgery she received. Pat Holm had been experiencing blurred vision in her left eye which she initially wrote off as tiredness. However, after a free vision exam, DOPT students suggested she see her doctor.
"I've had cataract surgery on both eyes and they said this was a consideration. When I arrived home, I made an appointment with the eye surgeon. It could be an overgrowth that needs a laser touch-up. Without that test, who knows how long I'd have let it go before finding out," says Holm.
Published February 18, 2010
Links:
Centre for Health and Community Partnerships
Dispensing Optician
Health Care Support Worker
Therapeutic Recreation
