I have worked in nursing homes for 2.5 years as an NAC [Nursing Assistant - Ceritfied] and think that this is a wonderful idea as long as it is all voluntary and with appropriate permission. The homes I worked in had a higher percent of "memory cases" and full care cases, but that would make this all the better. In facilities such as those, the majority of the care is focused on the full care residents, so independant and semi-independant residents were often left to their own devices. Even those with the earlier stages of Alzeimer's can "remember when" and tell you stories, though in those cases one should most definately talk to the guardian/next of kin for permission, and possibly provide a text copy of your interview. Reason one would be for them to okay it and make sure there are no skeletons revealed. Reason two is that they (if it is their children, siblings, whatever) would probably like the anecdotes and stories what their elders pass on. As I said, I worked in a nursing home. I knew of residents who would have dearly loved a project like this. People bedbound, their relatives scattered to the four winds who just want to talk, to have more to life than their TV set. In facilities where there are 10-15 residents per aide and half of those are full care, the aides do not have the time to stop and chat. One activity worker for the whole facility cannot give these people the attention they need. I think it is a wonderful idea. Go visit your mother. It is Mother's Day this weekend. Jeanna Snell Ellensburg, WA ---------- > From: Leona Kollman Garcia <lgarcia@ncia.com> > To: Indian-Territory-Roots-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Living Ancestors--What do you think? > Date: Saturday, May 08, 1999 9:34 AM > > This post may come to you more than once, as I am posting it on the > listserves that I belong to. If it does, I apologize in advance. > > I work in a profession in Washington State that led me to an idea. I > would love opinions, but criticism,etc is out. I only want opinions and > feedback to make or break the idea once and for all. > > In my profession, the information I have is confidential. I will not > disclose it and DO NOT ask me to. Last night alone I had over 100 people > (this is an everday occurance) that were in the age ranges of 95 to 100 > that had all of their vital information including ancestors, place of > birth, mother, father, social security, other information, and next of > kin in their records. > > The thought that has been ocurring to me over and over as I see > obituaries posted with, hopefully providing, information on next of > kin. Why not interview these people while they are still living. Most > are in nursing homes, but many are not. Of the ones that are in nursing > homes, only a small portion seem to be there (less than 1%) for memory > problems. What I am suggesting is this: > > 1] If everyone who is interested would go to their local nursing homes, > retirement communities, rehabilitation centers (persons recovering from > surgeries,etc..) and meet the people, there is a goldmine of information > available. > > 2] Many of these people are lonely and would love to share their > ancestors and family with you. Be up front and tell them you would like > to talk to people who want to discuss their families, both current and > past. > > 3] Come armed with pencil and paper as well as a tape recorder to back > you up. Ask permission to record it and tell them why. Just don't do it > secretly. > > 4] If someone does not want to talk to you about it, you have not lost > anything but a little time and you hopefull will have made life a little > better for someone that day. > > 5] I always leave my phone number with them in case they change their > mind. Many have, and I run right up there. > > 6] I have tried this for awhile now and I have come across many of the > names you are all researching. They may not be your relatives, but they > are someones. Many are Germans and Volga Germans, but there are many > other nationalities as well. I am going to continue this project for > myself no matter what. > > 7] If everyone who is interested would do the same and post the > information (with the person's permission and excluding their living > relatives) we would all get somewhere a heck of a lot faster. > > 8] Because the person who is providing the information is LIVING, they > could be contacted for information regarding other living relatives. > Anyone who is worried about invading their private information could do > like I did and contact the nearest living relative or emergency contact > to verify there is not a problem pursuing their ancestry and posting > the results on the internet and in email. > > 9] Because the homes,etc are local there is not an expense involved in > calling, faxing, visiting or contacting relatives. > > 10] The surname boards could carry a new heading of Living Ancestors or > something like that and every one could post their info to it by > State,County, Surname or whatever. Follow up names could be checked > with these people for verification and possible trigger even more new > information. > > 11] Perhaps if we listed ourselves (those who are willing) as volunteers > in the community in which we live to go back and follow up for people, > we would be doing a service to someone. Someone else in turn in their > community may do this service for you. > > 12] Many of these senior citizens I have found out are trying to find > living descendants because they have lost contact. > > 13] The advantage here is that you can finally break that 100 year > privacy barrier and do it with the ancestors permission. If you are > worried about it , make a form, have them sign that you have permission > to post it. If you are still worried, have their living descendant > emergency contact sign it too. That way you are not preying on these > people. They really want to help I have found. > > 14] If you really care about these people, take a grandchild, child, or > pet with you. They can spend the entire day just reliving their past. > Children, grandchildren, and animals trigger many more memories for > them. > > What does everyone think? > > > > Lee > -- > Mailto:lgarcia@ncia.com > > http://www.angelfire.com/wa/Lineage/index.html > http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/g/a/r/Leona--GarciaWA/ > http://www.gensource.com/common/ Common Threads Database Search Engine > > DENMARK: Bach > GERMANY Kollman, Kollmansberger, Kollmansperger, > Leipsig: Thaßler, Thassler > Hessen: Herman, Herrman, Hermann, Herrmann > HOLLAND: Warnaar, Warner > NORWAY: Kvalsund, Qualsund > RUSSIA: > Frank: Batt, Flath, Floth, Frick, Fuchs, Gettig, Gettman, Greif, Groth, > Heimbigner, Herman, Hermann, Herrman, Herrmann, Knopf, Leonhardt, > Schmidt, Stroh,Wagner > Grimm: Rasch > Hussenbach: Fuchs, Gettig, Herman, Hermann, Herrman, Herrmann > Kautz: Weber > Kolb: Frickel, Koch, Muntz > UNKNOWN: Adkins, Atkins, Amen, Amend, Betz, Boardman, Boedigheimer, > Erwin, Graetz, Henson, Holder, Ils, Kollman, Kollmansberger, > Kollmansperger, Gettman, Ore, Orr, McCae, McCay, McKay, McCoy, Muntz, > Rayburn, Stroh, Talley, Waller, Warner