Pre-med student Lida Zheng '11 has explored many aging issues in her classes in the College of Human Ecology -- from nutritional needs and quality of life in nursing homes to the maladies that come with old age. But, she said, the lessons usually don't sink in until she connects them to the many residents she visits each week at Ithaca nursing homes.

As co-president of the Cornell Elderly Partnership (CEP), Zheng leads several dozen student volunteers into three area long-term care facilities every Friday during the academic year. The students chat with or read to residents and lead such group activities as arts and crafts, Scrabble and Nintendo Wii bowling.

In the process, they develop friendships with the residents and come to understand the wants and needs of an oft-neglected age group.

"I often hear something in class and relate it to my friends in the nursing homes and wonder what they would think and feel about it," said Zheng, a human biology, health and society (HBHS) major and gerontology minor. "It's very therapeutic to visit with them, and it also puts a face to the conditions we're learning about. If you see someone struggling with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, it's has much more of an impact than reading about it in a textbook."

Likewise, Andrew Staron '11, an HBHS major and gerontology minor, finds the visits personally rewarding and a rich learning experience.

In his class Nutrition and the Life Cycle, he learned about how one's recommended dietary guidelines change late in life. However, he said, it can be difficult for seniors to attain their nutritional needs when illness or other factors diminish their appetites or make them lethargic.

"When you are around older adults, you see how the knowledge applies, but also the challenges to quality care," said Staron, who plans a career in medicine after graduation. "It's great to know what the nutritional requirements are, but you also need practical solutions that work in real settings."

A small group of Human Ecology students formed CEP in the early 1990s to serve Ithaca seniors and reduce their social isolation. In the past two decades, CEP has grown to include a core of nearly 100 student volunteers from across Cornell who have contributed thousands of hours of companionship to local seniors.

"Students are attracted to CEP because you are able to form special bonds with the residents, and they really look forward to us coming each week," Zheng said.

Zheng, who joined CEP as a freshman, added that the visits make her more aware of the emotional and psychological aspects of medical care. "Through CEP, you see the importance of compassion and understanding. You have to be an advocate for your patients, whatever the population."

Alli Bosserman '11, a human development major and gerontology minor, visits Yvonne Smith at Cayuga Ridge Nursing Home near Trumansburg nearly every week and takes her on walks, reads to her and sometimes does her nails. But she's frustrated that she can't do more, such as alleviating her pain or moving her from her wheelchair to bed when she wants to rest.

Because of this, Bosserman wants to earn a master's in nursing and learn the best ways to ease the pain of people receiving long-term care.

"CEP has changed the way I look at life," she said. "It has taught me to look at aging as a healthy, normal and beautiful part of life. We are born with the need for nurture, care and support, and as we age and approach death we return to this state. It's a beautiful process."

Ted Boscia is assistant director of communications for the College of Human Ecology.