Jasmina Amidzic

Responsibilities

I was responsible for teaching exercise classes to residents and community members. As a part of the wellness team, you are in charge of many different parts of the residents lives. Anything that you can do to promote their health and wellness was our top priority. The wellness team would also host gatherings for employees.

Accomplishments

My big project from this was my Bosnian Language and Culture course. I speak Bosnian fluently and since Wesley Acres has a large Bosnian employee community and Des Moines does too, the residents were very interested to learn how to speak it and learn how we do things! This will probably be my biggest take away from this entire internship. The people there were so willing to learn and absorb all the information I was giving them. They were so kind and encouraging! It was awesome to form relationships with them through that. They would then use their newly learned Bosnian words in fitness classes and around the building when they saw me. They taught me it's never to late to learn something new!

What advice would you give?

If you get an internship at a place like a senior living community, your top priority should be to get to know the residents! Only by getting to know them better and as much as you can will you truly be able to help them on their wellness journey. You are coming into their home and safe space, you need to be as accommodating and understanding as possible