Written by Daniel Poch, Founder & CEO of AlestaCare
A few weeks ago, an article in the Daniel Island News caught my eye. It was an essay by McRae Stephenson, a junior at Philip Simmons High School and a Daniel Island resident. She recently won first place in the South Carolina District 22 Optimist International Essay Contest — earning a $2,500 scholarship and publication in The Optimist magazine. Her winning essay reflects on the weekends she spent volunteering alongside her grandfather at his nursing home in Lugoff, South Carolina.
I first read it because I know McRae and her parents. She and my youngest daughter played volleyball together at Philip Simmons. After reading it, I asked them if I could share what resonated with me and how it connects with our work at AlestaCare. Her closing comment was the kicker: “… optimism is not the absence of hardship; it’s the decision to show up again and again, even when the outcome remains uncertain.”
Meeting People Where They Are
In her essay, McRae describes a resident named Carol, a woman living with severe dementia who asked McRae who she was every time they spoke. McRae learned quickly that explanations and corrections didn’t help. Instead, she answered the same way every time: “We share a name.” And every time, Carol smiled.
I’ve been around dementia care for a while now and I can tell you that plenty of trained adults never figure out what that teenager figured out at a bingo table: you don’t correct someone with memory loss. You don’t quiz them. You just meet them where they are, and you keep showing up.
Hope, Joy, and Optimism
It may seem odd to feel validated by a high school junior’s essay. But everything we believe at AlestaCare about aging — that engagement matters, that connection matters, that a person with a fading memory is still a whole person — McRae arrived at on her own, by sitting at a worn table looking for puzzle pieces that went missing years ago.
Thanks for the reminder, McRrae, that we all need to treat others with grace and patience. And that we need to keep seeing the hope, joy, and yes, even optimism, in the adults we serve.
You can read McRae’s essay here:
How my acts of service help me understand what my community means to me
Ready to talk through what you’re seeing? Call AlestaCare at (843) 800-2332 or schedule a free consultation at alestacare.com. We’re here when you’re ready.
Are you a care professional or community connector? If you work with seniors or families in the Charleston area, we’d welcome the opportunity to introduce ourselves. AlestaCare accepts referrals from physicians, discharge planners, social workers, senior living communities, and community organizations, among others. Call us or contact us to start a relationship.