Historic Roswell Place is now home to an unexpected language exchange, where a med tech has studied German for 374 consecutive days to communicate with an 80-year-old resident in her native language.
Ania L., who has been with Historic Roswell Place for more than 11 years, is known for understanding the details that matter. But it was Ursula H., who turned 80 on July 30 and moved to the U.S. from Germany as a young woman, who gave her a reason to pick up something new. Ursula often slips into German while reflecting on her past, though no one around her had been able to respond — until Ania started to try.
“I felt that she was feeling very lonely and wanting to get back to her roots,” Ania said. She knew only a handful of words at the time, but she gave them a try anyway. “When I spoke the words I knew to her, she became excited and would light up again.”
That was enough to motivate Ania. “I decided to expand my knowledge and learn more German, with the goal of being able to at least carry on a simple conversation,” she said.
She downloaded the language learning app Duolingo and committed to just ten minutes a day. “Now I am at 374 consecutive days of learning with the app.”
Since then, short German conversations between the two have become a regular part of the day. Ursula helps with pronunciation and occasionally tosses in new vocabulary.
“She’s become my unofficial language coach,” Ania said.
This kind of effort isn’t new for her. Several years ago, Ania took on a similar challenge when a resident from Iran was having difficulty with English. Wanting to make communication easier, she began learning basic Farsi — just a few key phrases, but enough to help him feel more at ease and understood.
“Kindness and understanding benefit both the resident and the caregiver,” Ania said. “When someone becomes a teacher in the process, both people gain something.”
“Ania saw something important to a resident and decided to learn a new language on her own time to connect better,” said Saron Coney, Executive Director of Historic Roswell Place. “She never made a big deal about it, but that effort truly makes a difference. We’re so grateful to have her on our team.”
Making Every Day Meaningful
At Historic Roswell Place, our team goes the extra mile to make seniors feel welcomed, heard, and connected. From learning new languages to finding meaningful ways to honor each resident’s story, we believe in creating genuine relationships that brighten everyday life. Schedule a tour today and see firsthand how our community makes every moment matter.