The great generational divide can be difficult to cross, and never more so than when you’re in your teens. Different life experiences, and the lack of shared interests, makes for a broad chasm that’s not easily bridged. Kaitlyn Goertzen has found a way to build that bridge, though, and her effort is making a difference at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville.
Sixteen-year old Goertzen began volunteering at the PCH when her baba took up residence there in February 2018. Her 72-year old grandmother suffers from dementia.
“When I was younger, I would go to my baba’s house and I would ask to paint her nails and stuff, but she [wasn’t that interested],” says Goertzen. “Now she loves it. I also do her make-up now and she never used to let me do that.”
While her interest at the PCH began with a desire to continue developing a relationship with her grandmother, before long Goertzen began to enjoy the company of the other seniors at the facility. Now she volunteers up to twice a week, assisting in a variety of recreational activities including baking, manicures, musical entertainment, and chaperoning on outings.
“Before I volunteered here, I was volunteering at Seven Oaks Hospital where my mom works,” Goertzen says. “I [also] helped out with the children’s summer camp, but it wasn’t really convenient for us because I would only be able to volunteer on weekends and that’s when my mom doesn’t work. So, I only did it in the summer. But this is convenient because my mom visits my baba. I just really enjoy the company of elderly people. You can have conversations with them, learn more about their lives and how they grew up.”
As an only child, she says she’s gotten used to spending time with adults. And whether she’s scheduled to volunteer or just feels like popping by, the recreational therapist is always glad to get her involved. Goertzen finds that spending time in the kitchen, baking with the seniors, is a great way to build relationships.
“The same group usually comes,” says Goertzen. “Some of them are slower with cutting and stuff, but we give them all a different job. Baba has some trouble with the cutting. My grandpa was there once and he helped her and my mom will help her, too. Baba used to always bake and cook, like perogies and cakes and the whole Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.”
Goertzen is now working on creative ways to use her musical talents to touch the hearts of seniors at the PCH. The multitalented young lady sings, dances, plays the saxophone, and is teaching herself to play the ukulele.
“For December, I’m putting together a bunch of Christmas songs to [perform],” she says. “I’d talk about each song beforehand. I’ll get my own speaker and microphone [and] I might add a little tap dance section.”
If things go well, she’s hoping to take her one-woman show on the road to other personal care homes around Manitoba. As a Grade Eleven student, Goertzen has been actively thinking about her future after graduation and hopes that she can find a career which will allow her to continue her work with seniors.
“I know I want to go to university, but I don’t really know what for,” she says. “I know I want to help people. My mom’s a nurse [and] that’s something I couldn’t do, but maybe [something] with elderly people.”
