I just finished a very eventful first week of my administrative internship at PioneerCare. Coming into the internship I was unsure of what to expect, and was nervous if what I learned in the classroom would be enough for me to understand operations in a nursing home. Thankfully the wonderful people at PioneerCare welcomed me with open arms and have been so kind in helping me learn through this experience. A little background about myself: I am a Fergus Falls native who graduated from Kennedy Secondary School in 2016. I am currently a senior at Concordia College in Moorhead majoring in Healthcare Leadership and Long Term Care Administration. First weeks are always hectic, but between all the meetings, paperwork, and trips to the coffee machine I gained a true appreciation for the wonderful staff and residents at PioneerCare.
My favorite meeting I went to this week was the resident council meeting. I had the pleasure of introducing myself to them and then had a short Q&A. The residents blew me away with their questions; they were very curious about my background and why I chose this career path. I loved seeing their perspective on new leaders coming into the industry, and they helped remind me of why I chose this as a career path. After the Q&A, Steve, our director of marketing and foundation gave a presentation about new projects the foundation is working on. The first project was the restoration of a fountain that was at the original PioneerCare campus. Volunteers in the community were kind enough to donate their time to the restoration of the statue located in the fountain. It made me happy to see how excited the residents were about the fountain. They couldn’t wait for the weather to warm up and take their family and friends there to have conversation in the fresh air. Another project coming up is a collaboration with Pedal Fergus Falls in implementing a program called Cycling Without Age. The program originated in Copenhagen, Denmark, and aims to combat resident loneliness by having volunteers take them for bicycle rides out in the community. The bicycles are three wheelers that have room for two people in the carriage in the front, and the “pilot” sits behind them on a bicycle seat and pedals and steers. The residents were so excited to have this opportunity and couldn’t wait for it to warm up and go for a ride! If you’re interested in this amazing volunteer opportunity volunteer orientation is May 15th at 5:30 p.m. at PioneerCare.
My first week at PioneerCare was a great experience, although it consisted of a lot of forgetting people’s names, and getting lost in the facility while I find my way around! The people at PioneerCare have been so helpful and patient with me adapting to this new environment. I’m thankful that I get to spend my summer learning in such a wonderful care setting!
Editor’s note: PioneerCare is pleased to have Joel King join us as administrative intern for the summer. During his time with us, Joel will provide observations and updates on his activities through regular blog installments. Check the news section of our web site as his story unfolds.
