Arizona State Student Volunteer Impacts Lives at The Dementia Campus

Lauren Stokesberry did not expect to bond with a stranger when she signed up for her ASU volunteer course. She went into the course not knowing what to expect.

Stokesberry is an Arizona State University student working toward her degree in nursing. She encountered a unique style of instruction — a course that involved making home visits to patients affiliated with Hospice of the Valley’s Dementia Care and Education Campus. Stokesberry was assigned to a person living with dementia and instructed to journal about the time they spent together.

“I feel like I'm hanging out with a family member. We talk about life. We talk about the state of the world. We talk about Disneyland,” Stokesberry said. “It's just kind of unwinding if anything.”

The pair hit it off well, and Stokesberry quickly found herself looking forward to their weekly meetings. To her, these encounters were fun and instructional, and to her partner, they represented tremendous growth opportunities. Their weekly meetings became stress relievers for both and something Stokesberry eagerly anticipated. Troubles were left at the door and until the end of the meeting, there were nothing but smiles.

While the class may have been a requirement, Stokesberry emphasized that she would choose this opportunity all over again.

“I gained some experience with people, especially those living with dementia, and I learned to interact with them better.”

If you’d like the chance to change lives and offer friendship to those in need, please sign up here to volunteer.

Written by the ASU Cronkite Agency