Time Out Respite Program

"This has been the most rewarding experience of my academic and professional career.  As a ‘non-traditional’ pre-medical student returning to school after several years in the workforce, I participated in this program to gain additional medically related experience.  Time Out has provided that and so much more.  My relationship with Ally, a recovering stroke victim, flourishes with every visit, and I sometimes wonder who looks forward to the visits more. Our relationship has not only reinforced my desire to become a physician but has also made me acutely aware of the issues of the elderly.  In the future I hope to draw on this experience to be a medical advocate for the elderly, or perhaps as a to even be a specialist in geriatrics.”

“This experience is one I will never forget. I learned so much about how to care for others and myself as well. It was so satisfying to do something positive for others.  I would not trade this experience for the world and would encourage others to participate.”

“Through Time Out, I helped a forty-year-old caregiver maintain some freedom from the daily care that she provides for her elderly mother with Alzheimer’s disease. It is rewarding to know that I am appreciated for the things that I do for them. This program has taught me the importance of respecting and accepting the differences in others.  I believe that if we all learned about others who do not act or look like us, this world would be a much better place!”

I never pictured myself doing healthcare work, but Time Out has helped me find my true calling. I never envisioned that Accounting, Economics, and Healthcare could mesh. I now plan to focus on the business side of healthcare which I find to be highly interesting.

Working with Time Out has truly been a very positive experience in my life and has taught me a great deal about the geriatric population. I have learned that the elderly are diverse, face different life challenges and must be treated as individuals. This experience ultimately helped me earn a Geriatric Fellowship at University of Michigan graduate school of Social Work.
 

"From the two families I worked with, I have learned some practical and surprising things: from poker and making fresh pasta to getting your money's worth of a load of laundry and the best way to host a holiday dinner. I am also gaining a lot of tools I'll use as a social worker, such as empowering people."