Two interns participated in the 2004 Summer Internship at The Center; Zach Sufrin, a senior at Washington University in St. Louis and Rachel Adamczyk, a senior at Northwestern. Rachel worked as an intern at The Center during the 2003 summer. Her positive and fulfilling experience in 2003 inspired her to apply for the position again this past summer.

Initially, the interns’ summer project was to create a linking or “liaison” relationship with other organizations, so as to expand the community in which The Center serves, bring a greater awareness to The Center, and to create unique grant writing opportunities. When the interns arrived, they found the need to create an organized program/curriculum so as to present something concrete to potential liaison partners. With enthusiasm behind them, Zach and Rachel constructed an invaluable program outlining the important issues that the elderly will confront in the aging process. This program was specifically designed to help adults prepare their elder parents for the aging process. At the forefront of this program was the constant reminder that an individual’s human dignity must be maintained throughout the process. With this in mind, issues of informed consent, advance directives (living wills, power of attorney, and DNR orders), and locations of care (hospitals, nursing homes, home care, hospice, etc.) were presented. The program was designed for presentation to different community groups, such as libraries, women’s groups, senior centers, and subsidized housing units.