Working at a nursing home is one of the hardest responsibilities I've had thus far in my life, but recently, it has proved to be the most rewarding as well. In the two months I've been employed there, I have learned more than I ever learned from Emily's. It's a totally different atmosphere and truly challenges how to care for people with many different issues.
I wanted to share something that happened last week while I was serving a resident with dementia. Due to HIPAA, I'll refer to her as J.B. :
J.B. is a resident who no one can seem to connect with to get her to comprehend what they are saying. As a server, it is my job to take the resident's order and get his/her food while also making sure they feel as though this is their home. Unfortunately, it can get busy, and when it does sometimes "challenging" residents are overlooked. I have way too much empathy to feel comfortable with that, and ever since I started working there I always give everyone my undivided attention.
I'm not sure if it is a coincidence, or if I truly made progress, but J.B. can comprehend what I say to her best. She forgets where she is and what her purpose is at a nursing home extremely quickly, and I try to find ways to calm her down and do my best to get her order. I feel like she understands I'm trying to help her but just can't express it.
Stories like these are the reason I know that whatever I do with my life needs to involve helping others who need it most.
It is always hard to work with people who know you are helping, but don't know why. My great grandmother had dementia and was bedridden for about 7 years. Every summer I would help take care of her. It was one of the most fulfilling parts of my summer. The difficult part of taking care of her was that she never wanted to eat, so I would spend about an hour feeding her soup. Though, the best part of taking care of her was when she would remember part of songs from her childhood and sing them quietly and when her face would light up when she saw me.
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