Eldery People Are Amazing

I work in a nursing home and I have the privilege of working with elderly patients. I am responsible for total patient care; feeding, changing clothes, assisting with using the bathroom. In other words I am a certified nursing assistant. I love my job_ not because of the hardship that it entails. I love my job because I interact with these elderly patients. You never know the individual you have in your midst, until you talk to them. Although this statement stands true for all human beings, it does not overlook elderly people.

Usually, elderly people cope with a lot of chronic body changes, often times due to disease and sickness, or falls. For example, Ms. B. A patient at my job who most of my co-workers do not look forward to dealing with. This is because Ms. B is very bitter. She is paralysed from her neck down and as a result, unable to do anything for herself. One day, I had the honor of caring for this woman, and just by talking to her, my compassion for her grew more and more. As I fed her I noticed her facial expression, as to say, she does not like the food. I asked her if everything was OK? She told me that hated the food! She then began to tell me about her life before she became crippled. Ms. B, who began cooking at the age of 8, was a top cook at and elementary school for over 40 years. She was very proud of that accomplishment at the school. Every student looked forward to lunch while she was employed. She really enjoyed her job as a cook. While Ms. B and I were talking, she mentioned to me that she had a recipe book, but because she has been at the facility so long, her house was foreclosed on and she lost everything. That was devastating. I saw the look in her eyes as she told me this little story about her life and I knew that this amazing woman, was coping with a lot. I was privilege to be caring for her.

Ms. B is not the only patient that I have enjoyed working with. In fact all off my patients have amazing stories. Some were singers, models, actors, actresses, officers, marines, and more. It is only by talking to my patients that I am able to really know who I am caring for. Elderly people are amazing. But we would often times take it for granted until we talk with them.