Amber Long enjoys a game of Farkle with residents or, as she thinks of the group, grandparents.
It doesn’t take long for young co-workers at Country Meadows to discover an important truth about residents: they were young once, too. And as residents and young co-workers bridge the generation gap, they quickly recognize there’s quite a bit they can learn from each other.
Just 19 years old when she began working at Country Meadows of Wyomissing as a personal care associate, Amber Long says she immediately fell in love with the residents.
“I don’t have my grandparents any more, but here I have lots of grandparents,” she says. “It was so easy to make that laid back connection with them, just like I had with my grandparents when I was younger.”
Long says one of the first things she learned from the residents was to be herself, which she describes as loud, obnoxious, and even crazy—dressing up for every special event. The residents really respond to her, and she was surprised to learn that they like to have a good time and live life to the fullest, just like she does.
“We have a lot in common. I feel like I should have been born when they were. My morals, my respect for others and how I view life seems to match their outlook more than my peers,” she says.
Now 27, Long has moved into a role as community life coordinator. She says over the years she has gained much wisdom by listening to residents talk about the things they’ve been through. She particularly likes to hear marriage stories from people who have been together for 50 or 60 years, a goal she hopes to reach some day, too.
“I’ve learned that basically you don’t give up on each other. If you love somebody, you’re there for each other through everything,” she says.
Even when teaching residents to use new technology, like the iPad, she learns from them.
“When they made the connection that we could access just about anything through the iPad, they didn’t hold back. They had a lot of fun with it,” she says.