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Trista's Gold Award: There is No Place Like Home
Trista’s Gold Award project aimed to address the issues she saw related to residents of assisted living facilities suffering from loneliness, depression, and frustration over their loss of freedoms. She knew that seniors could live a rich and fulfilling life with social engagement and through activities that connect them to other residents.
Trista conducted research on this issue and found that it can take 3-6 months, on average, for residents to adjust to the move into an assisted living facility. With the big changes that come with moving to an assisted living facility, there are a lot of feelings that come with it. Trista knew that she could make a difference and make sure that everyone felt included.
To address the issue at hand, Trista was ready to get to work on her Gold Award project. After reaching out to different assisting living homes, Countryside Manor and Golden Harbor Assisted Living facilities in Sheboygan allowed her to start her project with them!
Trista did a variety of activities to make the residents feel more at home with their surroundings. She created placemats and centerpieces for the cafeteria and made calendars with the residents’ birthdays for each room. This way, the residents were able to see when their friends’ birthdays were and spark conversation in the hallways. Additionally, she created sunshine bags, which were filled with games, cards, word searches, and other activities! With the sunshine bags, the residents were able to play games with each other and create friendships. Lastly, she also planted flowers and vegetables on the patios of the rooms. She was able to plant these flowers and vegetables with some of the residents to allow them to pursue their interests and get involved! They even taught her a few tips and tricks on how to properly plant!
Check out some of the photos of the projects she did for the assisted living facilities!
Trista’s Gold Award project was important because it allowed for people of all ages to be connected and grow friendships. In true Girl Scout fashion, Trista was able to see that individuals were feeling down and she was able to make them feel included. She dedicated over 90 hours to make this a possibility. Not only did she make others feel more confident, but she also grew her own confidence as well!
Trista’s favorite part of her project was seeing the real impact it had on the residents. Her project helped them feel more at home and connected despite restrictions they might have faced. Trista enjoyed structuring solutions that addressed both emotional and logistical challenges, turning an overlooked struggle into something manageable and uplifting. Trista said that the moments when residents genuinely felt heard, supported, and more at ease were especially rewarding.
Thanksgiving placemats she created for the cafeterias!
Placemats for the cafeteria that are Valentines Day and St.Patricks Day themed!
The birthday calenders that Trista created!
A photo of the sunshine bags she created. These had games and other activities for the residents.
