About the SeniorAdvisor.com 2014 In-Home Innovation Scholarship: We started the scholarship program to bring awareness of the unique benefits and challenges of in-home caregiving for seniors to younger generations. The questions posed by the scholarship encouraged our nation’s future caregivers to present solutions for improving home care in the United States. College-aged students were required to answer one of the three essay topics below and provide a short bio as part of their scholarship application. Read the winning essays here.

How can your major of study improve the lives of seniors receiving in-home care services?

Essay response by Hannah Hayes, Indiana State University

I believe with my major of Human Development and Family Studies with a Gerontology Certificate that I will not only be able to understand how to help a person in a situation but any type of person whether they range from infant to elderly. With this degree I will be able to handle family controversies, individual crisis or just help an individual learn how to better help someone they love or care about around them. Like I stated in my short bio my absolute dream would to be an in home senior advisor where I would not only take care of an individual but I would create a relationship with them.

In establishing that relationship I believe that the individual would not only free more at home and ease with themselves but I feel that they would further more enjoy their life. I was originally a Nursing major coming into Indiana State University but shortly after I left for college no only did my Grandmother have to be placed into a Nursing Home but my Father as well. They both became very sick and around July of this year both passed. Now I do not have anything against Nursing homes or long stay facilities but I believe and know that if both of my family members would have been in more of a homey environment where they could see their family and have an individual to come and assist them in their needs that they would have been a lot more comfortable.

With this experience I went through I switched and decided that I not only wanted to be in healthcare and take care of people but that I wanted to make sure that an individual, family or an elderly person got the most adequate care possible. It breaks my heart to go into facility and talk with an individual and see that they are sad, have no one to talk to, or are sick. Now I understand that they are going to be thousands of different situations but I just cannot wrap my head around how someone would be able to walk into the presence of an individual see that they are not happy and not want to help them.

My major will not only give me the education to put a stop to all the sadness but will give my knowledge and skills to put into practice to make sure that I am doing everything possible for the wonderful seniors receiving in-home care services. With this knowledge, education, and skill that not only my major will provide me but Indiana State University will provide me I could not help but to think that I could be able to live me dream and make sure that all the seniors have a great rest of their life. That they love each and every day, while having the best care, support, and loving family and friends around them to help make this all possible. Thank you so much for this consideration and I hope you are able to see that I am not only passionate about what I do but that my dream could help change the world.

About Hannah

Hannah is currently a sophomore at Indiana State University.