Me, Maddie, and Katie at the NLCS Corporate Office
As one of the youngest CAPS fellows, this is my first internship. It is also my first time moving 11 hours away from home. Also, thanks to that Valpo meal plan money, it’s the first time I truly have to cook for myself. It sounds more intimidating when the tasks are listed like that, but I am excited. I have the opportunity to serve at a great organization, National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS), as they strive to best serve older adults in a continuing care retirement community. It’s a dream come true for me.
Our cottage
As I reflect on my first three weeks out in Rockville, Maryland, it’s been a whirlwind. I have met many new people between the staff, residents, and guests living here. I have heard more medical acronyms than I knew existed. I have received more free food than I ever anticipated. Also, I began my summer long project on discharge planning. My project is focused on myPotential Rehab where guests go to receive physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy. It is a relatively short stay before the staff of nurses, physicians, “coaches” or social workers, therapists, and dietitians have to have everything ready to send with the guest. Figuring out the best discharge paperwork for this team to prepare for the guest to take with them can be tricky, especially with time constraints and issues with transferring information.
MLK Monument- “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope”
Maddie and I in front of the WWII Memorial with the Washington Monument in the back.
Overall, I think the biggest adjustment for me is getting used to scheduling my own time. As a college student, this is something I’ve had experience with, however, this is on a different scale. I have to figure out how to coordinate meetings with busy people in between the meetings I myself need to attend. Plus, I have to plan when I want to sit down to try to comprehend what information I just received and work on my own project. Some days I have spent maybe an hour in my office while others I am in front of my computer all day long trying to sort things out. As I am working on my project, I am trying to stay focused on the discharge summary paperwork, since within the discharge process itself there is the possibility for numerous other separate projects. Meanwhile, I am also thinking about how this applies to my future. I have known for 5 years now that I want to work with older adults. Over this time, I have volunteered at, worked in, and shadowed at various facilities that focus on the care of older adults. This is my calling, but it hasn’t come with a job title. I am still unsure what I will ultimately be doing as my vocation. What would be the most meaningful? What would I enjoy the most or even be good at? It’s a daunting task. Just as is reformatting a discharge summary system in the remaining 6 weeks I have at NLCS. I have never put together an extensive project like this before or determined what my path of service might be, but hey, I can add these to my list of firsts.