Well, I am happy to say my studies are complete and I passed all state certifications for becoming a certified nurse aide. My hope is that someday I can assist in the care of the elderly in home care and hospice. Since I am committed to my dog sitting business over the holidays, I won't be committing to any agency at this time but I've already had job offers through my instructor. I feel complimented.
We did clinical training at a local nursing home. It's really hard to see so many in need and the nurses and nurse aides were far too few for the number of residents. Sadly, my classmates and I witnessed some verbal and mental abuse, (not to mention unsanitary practices). It was reported to the teacher who then brought it to the attention of the people in charge. The person was dismissed.
It made me sad. I'd like to think she was just having a hard day and that it wasn't common for her to treat residents that way but, we can't excuse the behavior. Also, I think it is likely more common in the field than we know. Residents with dementia sometimes don't have a voice but dementia can also cause residents to say everything hurts and everyone is mean to them. In our case, we witnessed the incident.
I came away with a strong sense of urgency to tell others that our elderly population NEEDS us all! Understaffed homes don't have time to feed a resident for 30 minutes, like some of us students could, so much of the time they don't get fed enough.
Want to do something wonderful? Feed a person their Thanksgiving meal. Much like a child, they eat a spoon at a time, need a mouth wipe, and a drink from a straw. We can all do that! Make small talk about the weather, animals, anything. Trust me, even a non-speaking person will give you thanks from the look in their eyes.
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23 comments:
Thank you for sharing this post with us. Congrat's on earning your certificate!!
stella rose
Congratulations! I worked with the elderly for many years and I loved it. My philosphy is treat those as you would wish to be treated! I always respected my clients and had great fun with them, and always, always treated them with dignity. I wish this was the norm but sadly I doubt it. They need all the good carers then can get. I wish you luck and joy when you do go into the respite care system xx
Amen! I used to visit the eldery from our parish for years. I saw many, many horrible things in nursing homes.
Brian and I just went to visit his grandmother with advanced alzheimer's. We took little Henry and visited with many residents. Oh how their eyes lit up. Our daughter Madeleine has asked me to go to our local nursing home now with Henry. =)
congratulations =D
xxx
Yes, our older generation needs more caring and professional aides like yourelf! My father is in a dementia unit and we have witnessed some very sad situations resulting from lack of proper care. Best of luck to you in your new career--I know it will be a rewarding experience for both you and the patients!
Congratulations Parsley and your beauty shines through. Sadly we have the same problem here.
Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Best wishes Molly
Parsley, congratulations and best wishes on completing this certification! Good luck to you as you take on this new career.
Robin in Virginia
This will be a most demanding and challenging job - there will be moments of personal pain and grief.
The rewards, however, will be those thoughtful and thankful families (the survivors) that realize how wonderfully you treated their love ones in their last days. I hope more than a few express their thanks.
I know YOU will be a wonderful care-provider. I am certain the room will light up with YOUR smiles combined with their happiness to see YOU.
Congrats on your latest achievement. If this is your calling, I encourage you to get your LPN or RN license eventually.
Thank you for this post. My mother and sister are both nurses and specialized in geriatric care. My father and nephew lived in nursing homes. It is a sad situation. Unfortunately, out of sight, out of mind applies to so many.
It is horrible that patients are mistreated, however there are many times Alzheimer's patients abuse nurses as well -- food spit on them, kicked, punched.
It takes a special person to do this job -- no wonder HE is leading you down this path.
Your Friend,
Deborah
FairfieldHouseNJ.com
Congratulations and blessings to you. There's no better person to care for those who are in need of a caregiver; I know you'll do well.
Congratulations to you on receiving your certification for nurse's aide.
I am so proud of you.
I pray that the Lord will place you in the perfect place to be of help to those who need it. I know that your kindness to those you reach will be multiplied to you many times over. God bless you....
Congratulations! And so true about nursing homes. My dad was in a nursing home just 2 miles from our home. What I learned there most of all was that EVERYONE needs an advocate - one who will stand up to the administration and staff and say and do what needs to be done. My heart aches for those who have no advocate, and there are many of those.
Congratulations on earning your certificate! I told you I had a feeling that you were going to do it!
Oh, how your post resonated with me. I have spent the last 8 months of this year traveling a four-hour round trip, every month, to spend a week to 10 days with my parents - (I do get to visit with my sons, too - which helps a lot). My father has dementia, and he is very demanding and mean, but also very feeble. My siblings are more local, and so they help out on a weekly basis.
We have now reached the point where further care decisions must be made. How I wish that you lived by us. We were hire you in a second to care for them. We are planning to speak with a Geriatric Care Manager that was recommended to us - someone to help guide us through the process, and help us make the best decision.
I would really appreciate your prayers. We just want to do what is best, what is loving - but also what accomplishes the extra help that none of us can adequately provide on our own anymore.
Mom and Dad are quite resistant to any suggestions, which makes it all so much harder.
Sorry for the lengthy comment here. You've just really broached a subject that is VERY close to my heart right now.
One last thought - I was part of a weekly ministry to a nursing home for over three years. And the elderly are perhaps the loneliest, most marginalized people in our society. Yes, you're right. These people NEED us.
GOD BLESS.
(I see that you have an email contact. Don't be surprised to hear from me sometime...)
Congratulations for getting your certification.I knoww you have gentle heart and caring hands. Be blessed and Christ with You !
Congratulations on your certificate! Things are no better in the UK. My sister-in-law worked in a publicly funded care unit for dementia sufferers until it closed recently. These are the most marginalised people, who have no family to pay for their care, some of them have lived there for many years and they have all had to move. My sister-in-law, who is the most caring of people and always had so much respect and love for the residents, is now out of a job. I could go on.....
I hope that you secure work which is right for you and you can bring some happiness into the lives of others.
Congratulations Parsley. That sounds like a wonderful idea.
Linda
Congratulations!! A very challenging path, but oh so rewarding as well.
Godspeed in your new career... it
is, indeed, a vocation and those
who genuinely seek it out are
answering Heaven's call to care
for his weak ones.....
May you make the best career
connection.
Congrats on passing your tests and getting your certifications. My youngest worked in the Alzheimer unit at one of the local nursing homes. She witnessed the same abuse and unsanitary practices. She worked all three shifts and saw that the 3rd shift was the worst as far as abuse, neglect and unsanitary practices.
Congratulations Parsley! =)
Congratulations on all your hard work paying off. Wonderful idea for helping too.
Congratulations!
When my dad passed away he spent some time in hospice. Those folks became part of our family - they were so caring and kind, to both my dad and our family. We were so thankful to all of them.
Monty and Harlow
Congratulations to you, well done.
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