Making an Impact through Conversation

Jazz W., Public Relations Officer of the Mc Master University Chapter, shares her experience from a recent makeover and how it has impacted her.

Today, we had our last makeover of the year at Caroline Place. Doing these makeovers is truly the highlight of my week, and each time, I leave with a smile on my face and feeling energized. I just feel like there’s such a level of conversation there that’s so enjoyable and new because I don’t really have a grandmother or grandfather presence in my life, so I look forward to meeting the ladies each time. When I walked in today, there were so many people who were just so excited to see us. I was there a bit early so I had the chance to talk to a lot of the residents, and it was just so crazy to see their level of excitement. Today, I worked with a new resident, Marion, who was 91 years old and from England and had the MOST regal and elegant accent. Marion also had the most pretty natural nails—she told me how one of her dates at a dance told her she had the fingers of a piano player, and he was right! We did a clear sparkly coat because Marion wanted to do something that would excite her 4-year-old great-granddaughter, Penny. We talked a lot about her family and life at Caroline Place, and at the end of our session, she told me that it was so great to meet me and that I truly understood her, which I think is the biggest compliment I’ve ever received, and further encourages me to pursue a profession that allows me to work with seniors!