Dimple's Discoveries

Sorry I missed last week guys, life has kept me on my toes these past few weeks.  If I had to pick a favorite out of all of the people I have ever cared for, she would be it. This patient had Alzheimers, final stage, and she was a sweetheart. She was the most kind woman I have ever met, which speaks volumes for her because Alzheimers changes most people's personality for the worse. When I first became a CNA and met her she was wandering with her walker aimlessly down the hallways, circling for hours until she accidentally went into someone's room or we needed her for something. By the time she passed away her physical condition had worsened to the point that she fell every time she tried to walk without help, but still had that urge to roam, so we had to keep a very close eye on her. Her daughter had brought in a desk tray that we could strap to her wheelchair to keep her in it, but just a day before my story we had been told to get rid of it because it was considered a rest...

As CNAs, we lie. A lot. All the time actually. I know what you are thinking, 'That's awful!' and that is kind of true, but it also is better for the patients sometimes. I work in geriatrics, where my patients are forgetting everything. My dementia and Alzheimer patients especially struggle, and life is often miserable being trapped in the memories they are. Sometimes reality isn't the best way to deal with a situation. I'll give an example--I have a patient that will hardly eat. It isn't uncommon for her to go a few days without eating anything besides a cracker or two, or maybe a cookie. When you lose your sense of taste and/or don't have much motivation to live, why eat? The only way we can get her to eat is to tell her that her mom is looking for her, and she is in the dining room waiting for her to come eat breakfast with her. My patient will jump up and hurry down to the dining room, and by the time she gets there and breakfast is in front of her, she h...

Today I was remembering one of my dearest patients I have ever had, and for anyone who knows me, I LOVE to tell stories about my work, but this patient is one of my very favorite memories, because she helped build my testimony and taught me a lot about life. This patient was one of the very first I ever cared for as a brand new CNA and Med Tech. She had Alzheimer's disease, and she was one of the sweetest women I will ever be privileged to know. I can only remember one time in all the thousands of hours of care that I did for her that I ever heard her get mad, and it wasn't even directed at anyone. She was ALWAYS kind in her conversation with the aides, and for anyone who works in health care you can relate when I say that someone in pain or being cared for isn't always going to be the kindest. She would always say how nice I was or how I was an angel. She had the most beautiful smile. She reminds me of the Rascal Flatts' song "Ellsworth" when it says ...

Dec. 4, ½ hr: My roommate decided she wanted to go play her guitar for the elderly at the facility I have been volunteering at, and asked me if I wanted to come along with her. I absolutely did. So we went down there, and there were a lot of groups volunteering. That is the awesome thing about LDS people, they are very service oriented, and the buildings were all full of carolers and musicians wanting to volunteer. It was awesome to have to fight for attention, the elderly patients were eating it up. The only available building was the Alzheimer building, so we went over there. The facility has this cool door lock that to get in you have to push a button to unlatch it, and then to get out you have to enter the code. I’ve been in the building a couple of times, but I won’t lie, when we went to leave and I couldn’t remember the code, I didn’t like the panic of being locked in! Ha ha We went inside and went room to room, asking if the patients would like us to sing them a Christmas ...

Nov. 16 th -45 minutes I started out this trip with a less than pleasant attitude today, it had been such a long day, and the day was only half over, and when I got there I was informed that we would be doing ROM exercises (Range of Motion) and manicures. We went to the Alzheimer’s unit, and that was special. Most were asleep when we came in, it was right after lunch time, and so we offered our services to the few just finishing up their lunch. One sweet little patient had just set down her fork, we started her exercises, and all she did was smile at me while I helped her move. I hadn’t realized how much they are starved for attention, especially in that building. I had never noticed it from that perspective. I’ve always been the caregiver, busily running from one patient to the next. I have never been able to slow down enough at work to see it as clearly as I did today.I left feeling a lot better, not only about coming, but about myself and what I can contribute. Some days I feel ...