Dimple's Discoveries

I have been a CNA for years. I have cared for thousands of patients, and yet suddenly, this last couple weeks I have come across a challenge that I've never encountered before: A deaf patient. Talk about a reminder to be grateful for these wonderful bodies we have been given, because I've abruptly learned how much I rely on my hearing to get me through the day. This particular patient has come to us with the inability to speak more than an unclear word or two, she has barely enough motor skills to sign a little, and most the staff hasn't the slightest idea how to communicate with her. This brings up a HUGE problem in health care. We have frequently had patients who speak another language (generally Spanish) and we cannot interact with them, and it becomes a very frustrating thing for staff and patient alike. Thankfully because of an aunt that is deaf, I know a little, (a very little) sign language, and so I've been trying to communicate to her as much as possible in o...

As caregivers, we tend to be loving people. This means that we frequently get hurt. You'll find that caregivers across the board will have the biggest hearts of anyone you could ever meet. Who else could care for patients who can be crude, harsh, cruel, and even abusive for hours on hours without mirroring the same? The weakness of the caregiver is that they feel too much, care for too many, they give of themselves to so many people that they are often getting hurt by those they care for. Why is that big of a heart a problem? Well, patients die. People change. Friends walk away. It's all a part of life. Caregivers have a hard time letting go, even when it is time. I was sent a forwarded email one time that this reminds me of, it's called "A reason, a season, a lifetime". It talks about how we are sent others in our life for a reason, such as to help us through a problem, a season, to guide us through a season or period of change, and finally, once or twice a lif...

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...

This week was a long week, I was working doubles every other day, with one shift in between each, and I am exhausted! But it has been a really rewarding week, good thing I love my job :) Tonight I want to post about a sweetheart I got to know well at one of my jobs tonight, one of the rewarding moments of my work came out tonight. This patient is very confused, with some sundowning tendencies, and I had mostly been working graves when he first moved in, which meant I dealt with the worst of both conditions for eight hours. He was notorious for pottying everywhere, wetting the entire bed as well as the floor sometimes. One night I even came in to find him on the floor, lying in a pool of urine, stripped naked, curled up in fetal position, completely confused as to how he got there, and apologetic. Another night he took the water carafe, which holds 1020 cc (mL) and pottied into it until he filled the entire thing. Good thing the aide helping me noticed it and recognized that it wasn...

I've told you guys about a lot of meaningful, spiritual moments at work. We have those moments a lot, don't get me wrong, but there is a whole lot of funny mixed in there too. Today I'd like to share a few:  One night another aide, we'll call her Amy, and I were getting a patient in bed. Amy is a very sweet, sincere aide, she is good to work with. Anyways, we were getting this patient tucked in, putting her water and tray by her, and we always have to make sure their call light button is near them so they can call if they need something. The patient asked "Where is my button?" but Amy misheard. She thought she said 'Where is my butt?' and without missing a beat Amy kindly pokes her in the bum and says "It's right here!" The patient and I just looked at each other and busted up laughing. Amy was mortified, but it was a fun moment. One of my patients, she just passed away, had these dolls that she called her babies/children. She would...

Patients often ask in frustration why they are still alive, why they have to suffer through this illness or injury, and I have heard caretakers time and time again struggle with the answer to that question. I don’t have all the answers, but I certainly know one: because sometimes a trial isn’t what you need to learn, as much as what others around you can learn from you. That was how it was with a special patient of mine. This patient had lost her husband a few years prior. She talked about him literally every day, many times a day, and was pretty much in her own world. The trouble with being a caretaker is that you get to glimpse bits and pieces of the patient’s life, but you don’t get the full story. Much like flipping open a random book near the end and reading a few pages but never being able to see how the story began or progressed, we get a little glance and can only wonder at what they experienced, what trials they endured, or what made them what they are today. This sweet pa...

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 ...