The Goldton at Adelaide
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“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Are your teens looking for something meaningful and enjoyable to do over the long weeks of summer break? I have the perfect solution in this popular post from last year.

Here are 7 great reasons why your teenager should consider volunteering at a nursing home:

This is an excellent opportunity to explore health-related careers. As an example, I started out volunteering in a nursing home at age 14. This ultimately helped confirm my decision to become an RN.
In this day and age of social media, teens don’t get a lot of opportunities to refine their interpersonal skills. At the nursing home, smartphones are put away. As a result, teens learn to communicate with the residents face to face.
Experience as a nursing home volunteer looks good on a resume. I know this because it stood out when I interviewed nurses and nursing assistants during my years of working as a nurse manager. It’s also a plus for scholarship applications.
Teens and residents learn from one another. I’ve seen teen volunteers help residents understand how to use computers. I also watched a resident teaching a teen how to knit.
It helps teens put their problems into perspective. Even seemingly small problems often feel overwhelming to a teenager. Seeing and hearing stories of how nursing home residents deal with challenges positively gives teens a new perspective on life.
Aging and disability seem less scary. I remember visiting a nursing home for the first time as a child. The sights, sounds, and smells were unnerving. But once I got to know the residents as unique and precious individuals the fear went away.
Volunteering boosts self-esteem. Your teen leaves the nursing home each day knowing that someone’s life is just a little bit better because they were there.