I have just one more day in the nursing home and then I will test out of my class.
I can't believe that I started this journey two months ago and its coming to end.
I can't believe that I started this journey two months ago and its coming to end.
My first two weeks of clinics were spent in Assisted living.
My first night there I spent it in the Memory Care Unit.
All of these people suffer from Alzheimer's.
The group was fairly small which made it easier to spend time with them.
The first hour was spent assisting with dinner, clearing plates, and with one particular resident, checking her pockets to make sure she didn't sneak any silverware.
I observed many in the first few minutes that I was there...
Soaking in what I had been prepared for...
Listened to how the residents talked and how they were responded to....
Processing how I fit into this picture and what I could do within my limits legally...
I learned a lot about my residents in such a short time.
My first night there I spent it in the Memory Care Unit.
All of these people suffer from Alzheimer's.
The group was fairly small which made it easier to spend time with them.
The first hour was spent assisting with dinner, clearing plates, and with one particular resident, checking her pockets to make sure she didn't sneak any silverware.
I observed many in the first few minutes that I was there...
Soaking in what I had been prepared for...
Listened to how the residents talked and how they were responded to....
Processing how I fit into this picture and what I could do within my limits legally...
I learned a lot about my residents in such a short time.
A is in her 70's and believes she has 39 babies.
While helping her with her shower she had informed me that she had just been to the doctor and was told that she was pregnant. She just couldn't believe that she was going to have another baby.
It was a battle of our own to actually get her into the shower because she believed that there was soldier standing outside waiting for her to let him in so he could tell her that her two sons had died in war.
We had to solute him before we could go anywhere and so we did.
I want to know more about her.
How many kids does she have?
Did her sons really serve?
While helping her with her shower she had informed me that she had just been to the doctor and was told that she was pregnant. She just couldn't believe that she was going to have another baby.
It was a battle of our own to actually get her into the shower because she believed that there was soldier standing outside waiting for her to let him in so he could tell her that her two sons had died in war.
We had to solute him before we could go anywhere and so we did.
I want to know more about her.
How many kids does she have?
Did her sons really serve?
Are they alive?
And she talked so much about working.
She took authority in her relationship with her husband as she talked about how he last his job and how she was forced to go back to work full time that day while still having to care for all of those babies...
D is probably one of the sweetest ladies I have ever encountered.
She spends a lot of time in her room, aside from meal time, and any time I came close to her door she was always quick to invite me in.
The first night that I was there she cried so often...
It broke my heart as we got her ready for bed and tucked her in.
She sobbed as we shut her door and from what I was told, that was part of the nightly routine.
When she was brought into the unit her husband had opened the door, shoved her in, and shut the door behind her and they believe that has a lot to do with it. If she actually remembers that event... they aren't sure but emotions tend to stick and anytime she feels uncertain, confused, or scared she will cry.
They believe that event is the root of it.
And she talked so much about working.
She took authority in her relationship with her husband as she talked about how he last his job and how she was forced to go back to work full time that day while still having to care for all of those babies...
D is probably one of the sweetest ladies I have ever encountered.
She spends a lot of time in her room, aside from meal time, and any time I came close to her door she was always quick to invite me in.
The first night that I was there she cried so often...
It broke my heart as we got her ready for bed and tucked her in.
She sobbed as we shut her door and from what I was told, that was part of the nightly routine.
When she was brought into the unit her husband had opened the door, shoved her in, and shut the door behind her and they believe that has a lot to do with it. If she actually remembers that event... they aren't sure but emotions tend to stick and anytime she feels uncertain, confused, or scared she will cry.
They believe that event is the root of it.
I considered it a victory when I got her to bed my 2nd night in that unit and she didn't cry as I tucked her in.
She couldn't remember the people in the picture frame on her wall but was pretty sure they were people she knew at one point.
One of those pictures was one of her when she was younger and the beauty from back then reflects in her now and I just love her.
M showed me the party dress she made and at one point wore.
That was one proud lady...
and I have to mention that she is 100 yrs old.
This dress was absolutely beautiful.
A fleshy Mauve toned satin, sleeveless, boat neck, above the knee piece of art that was draped in beautiful lace and was embellished with a brown strand of ribbon to secure around the waist.
I saw it a handful of times and every time like it was the first time.
I was just amazed every time.
We sat down for a movie together and she asked me "Finding anything appealing to this movie yet because I sure as hell am not." HA!
Clearly she is a lady that knows what she likes and what she doesn't.
She couldn't remember the people in the picture frame on her wall but was pretty sure they were people she knew at one point.
One of those pictures was one of her when she was younger and the beauty from back then reflects in her now and I just love her.
M showed me the party dress she made and at one point wore.
That was one proud lady...
and I have to mention that she is 100 yrs old.
This dress was absolutely beautiful.
A fleshy Mauve toned satin, sleeveless, boat neck, above the knee piece of art that was draped in beautiful lace and was embellished with a brown strand of ribbon to secure around the waist.
I saw it a handful of times and every time like it was the first time.
I was just amazed every time.
We sat down for a movie together and she asked me "Finding anything appealing to this movie yet because I sure as hell am not." HA!
Clearly she is a lady that knows what she likes and what she doesn't.
S couldn't ever remember which room belonged to her.
After about 15 minutes of redirecting her she finally walked into it and said "This better be my room because THIS is my chair."
After about 15 minutes of redirecting her she finally walked into it and said "This better be my room because THIS is my chair."
Just as soon as she walked out of her room she couldn't remember which one was hers again.
These people live in their own world and for a lot of them its in a world before even their own children would know them.
Many of them asked where their parents were...
Asked if we could call them...
Asked when their parents would be back...
And we played along...
Imagine what it would have been like to believe that your parents were alive and then you had someone tell you that they were dead.
Pretty sucky right?
So we would tell them that they were out on a date or running errands...
We tried calling them but they were unable to come to the phone but would call back later...
They would be home later on in the evening or the next day...
And they accepted those answers..
And then forget.
We never told them that the people that they saw didn't exist.
We never told them that what they believed they heard wasn't real.
We never told them that they didn't have 39 babies, or that they had no reason to cry, or that they had already shown me their dress.
We never told them that their parents had died along time ago and that they were never coming back.
We took part in their world and instead of trying to convince them out of it... we became a part of it and did all that we could to help them feel secure in it.
This last week I was in the memory care unit at a nursing home.
These people were a lot less self reliant.
Mechanical lifts were used,
Briefs were changed,
wipes were used,
(ok now I've just got to say that changing an adult is far more stinkier than changing a baby and those rooms are not big enough, nor are they ventilated well enough to accommodate the stank.)
These people live in their own world and for a lot of them its in a world before even their own children would know them.
Many of them asked where their parents were...
Asked if we could call them...
Asked when their parents would be back...
And we played along...
Imagine what it would have been like to believe that your parents were alive and then you had someone tell you that they were dead.
Pretty sucky right?
So we would tell them that they were out on a date or running errands...
We tried calling them but they were unable to come to the phone but would call back later...
They would be home later on in the evening or the next day...
And they accepted those answers..
And then forget.
We never told them that the people that they saw didn't exist.
We never told them that what they believed they heard wasn't real.
We never told them that they didn't have 39 babies, or that they had no reason to cry, or that they had already shown me their dress.
We never told them that their parents had died along time ago and that they were never coming back.
We took part in their world and instead of trying to convince them out of it... we became a part of it and did all that we could to help them feel secure in it.
This last week I was in the memory care unit at a nursing home.
These people were a lot less self reliant.
Mechanical lifts were used,
Briefs were changed,
wipes were used,
(ok now I've just got to say that changing an adult is far more stinkier than changing a baby and those rooms are not big enough, nor are they ventilated well enough to accommodate the stank.)
showers were given more so than they were assisted,
and at a small table of four women...
they were fed.
Within seconds of walking in, I was seated next to this lady that was wheelchair bound, unable to speak, and unable to feed herself.
It was my responsibility to feed and drink her.
I felt so sad and not because of where this lady was at in her life but because of the few hands that were there to help.
They were so short handed and clearly those who had been working see it as such...
Work.
I spoke to this lady knowing that I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with her but seeing a nod or a smile was confirmation enough that she was enjoying it.
Occasionally she would start to speak and repeat it over and over and over again.
I finally pulled a CNA over that worked there and asked what she was saying.
She told me that she was counting....
this lady that I was feeding use to be an accountant.
It made sense. :)
I felt so much more overwhelmed in the nursing home than in assisted living.
My time with the residents seemed so short.
There were so many residents and not enough CNA's.
As soon as we were done with one, we were out and off to get another one ready for bed.
It became more apparent to me that I'm not into this for the medical aspect of it...
I'm into it more for the relational aspect of it.
I want to be there to not only insist in their physical needs but their emotional and mental as well and I did not feel like that was accomplished very well at the nursing home.
Not because I didn't want that but because everything moved so fast and for the CNAs that I was following it was more about getting it done and getting out.
I pray that is not me in a couple of years and that the facility that I end up in is better staffed to allow better care.
I fear of burnout but I am confident that if I'm placed in the right facility, that will not happen.
All the CNAs that I spoke with pretty much said the same thing...
It's hard work and there will be days that feel overwhelming but all it takes is one resident saying something kind to you...
and at a small table of four women...
they were fed.
Within seconds of walking in, I was seated next to this lady that was wheelchair bound, unable to speak, and unable to feed herself.
It was my responsibility to feed and drink her.
I felt so sad and not because of where this lady was at in her life but because of the few hands that were there to help.
They were so short handed and clearly those who had been working see it as such...
Work.
I spoke to this lady knowing that I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with her but seeing a nod or a smile was confirmation enough that she was enjoying it.
Occasionally she would start to speak and repeat it over and over and over again.
I finally pulled a CNA over that worked there and asked what she was saying.
She told me that she was counting....
this lady that I was feeding use to be an accountant.
It made sense. :)
I felt so much more overwhelmed in the nursing home than in assisted living.
My time with the residents seemed so short.
There were so many residents and not enough CNA's.
As soon as we were done with one, we were out and off to get another one ready for bed.
It became more apparent to me that I'm not into this for the medical aspect of it...
I'm into it more for the relational aspect of it.
I want to be there to not only insist in their physical needs but their emotional and mental as well and I did not feel like that was accomplished very well at the nursing home.
Not because I didn't want that but because everything moved so fast and for the CNAs that I was following it was more about getting it done and getting out.
I pray that is not me in a couple of years and that the facility that I end up in is better staffed to allow better care.
I fear of burnout but I am confident that if I'm placed in the right facility, that will not happen.
All the CNAs that I spoke with pretty much said the same thing...
It's hard work and there will be days that feel overwhelming but all it takes is one resident saying something kind to you...
that lets you know that you're doing something right...
and it's all worth it.
So far...
All of this hard work...
It's worth it.
All of this hard work...
It's worth it.
Praying you all have a blessed weekend.
-C
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