Ask Now, Listen Forever

 As a former Activities Director I would set aside one Saturday a month to select a resident at our long term care facility and spend approximately three hours interviewing him/her about their past life.  At the end of my interview I'd photograph the person and designate this senior "resident of the month", including photo and bio in our monthly newsletter and hanging a poster-size bio and photo in our Actitivy Room.  I can't tell you how advantageous this was both to boost the morale of a senior who may not have been feeling too well.   The greatest advantage however, was to the staff.  They'd pass the article on their way to the dining room, stop to read a former historical account of a particular resident, and this vehicle connected both senior and staff members, facilitating many stimulation conversations about their past with staff who would not have otherwise known anything about the person they were caring for.

As we already know, seniors love to talk but seldom do they have listeners.  This is why I'm introducing  www.storycorps.net -- a group I discovered on Facebook.  Following is their company overview and mission statement:  

"Since 2003, over 40,000 everyday people have shared life experiences with family and friends in our story booth.  Each conversation is recorded on a free CD and is preserved at the Library of Congress.  Listen to our broadcasts on public radio and the web.  StoryCorps is the largest oral history project of its kind.  Everybody's story matters.  Every life counts.  Help us reach out to reach out to record our history, hopes, and common humanity by going online to:  http://www.storycorps.net.  Our mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening.  We accomplish this by providing access to both the storycorps interview experience and to the content that emerges.  StoryCorps reminds us of the importance of listening to and learning from those around us.  It celebrates our shared humanity.  It tells people that their lives matter and they won't be forgotten.  Through Story Corps we hope to create a kinder, more thoughtful and compassionate nation."

I sincerely applaud the StoryCorps effort and thought I'd pass this information along to the readers of this blog.  They can also be found on the NPR website who has a started a "National Day of Listening", celebrated each year around Thanksgiving.  A very worthwhile activity with a loved one.  

olga@agooddaughter.com