Gotta keep moving and learning new things

If there's one thing I'm taking away from working at the nursing home it's this: Keep moving and learning.

I have residents who can't stand up straight. Not because of debilitating illness or injury, but because one day, something hurt and they stopped doing the thing that hurt. Then, one day, another activity hurt, so they stopped doing that, too. Pretty soon, the things they didn't do anymore outnumbered the things they did do. Now, they sit in chairs until someone can help them to the bathroom and they cry because it hurts to move from the wheelchair to the toilet.

Recent research indicates that learning new things prevents Alzheimer's Disease. Whether it's true or not, it never hurts to gain knowledge. Educating yourself may help your brain stay young just as exercising helps your body stay young.

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about folks who've had cancer or a stroke or a broken hip. I'm talking about folks who just let themselves decline until they have limited themselves to recliners, wheelchairs and crying because they hurt so bad all the time.

We're off to see the Wizard

Last night one of the ladies with dementia had fallen asleep in the dining room. This isn't unusual for her. One of the other residents (who also had dementia) convinced her to go to her room. Also not unusual. I saw them at the end of the hall and as the sleepy woman was having trouble walking, I went to help. I held one hand and the other resident held the other and we started walking. Then the sleepy one's roommate came and held the other residents hand.

The Wizard of Oz suddenly popped into my head.

I didn't start skipping, but I'm not sure which character I was, either.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

As a general rule, I let my residents do what they feel is best for them. If it's not hurting them or anyone else (including me) I let them have their head. However, I've had several situations where the choice has been causing them pain or getting hurt myself. I'm sorry to say I had to choose causing them pain.

The goal is to let the resident do as much as they can themselves. This means getting up from their chairs with just enough help to keep them safe. I'm willing to do it in several small, slow steps and to ease them down gently into their new space, whether this is the bed, the toilet or wherever else they want to plant their fannies. But when they stop midway between the Scylla and Charybdis, I'm going to move them as quickly as possible.

I had to muscle a resident last night because they did just that. They stopped and I was stuck between them, the bed and the recliner. Either they were going to fall or I was going to get hurt trying to hold them up. So, I got them seated on the bed and rolled over onto their side (which is how they like to sleep) while listening to them scream. Ugh. If you've ever had to do that, you know it makes you angry. At them and at yourself. After I got them settled, I apologized and explained why I had done it, but I know it didn't comfort them much. And my voice was sharper than normal, I know. My only comfort is that they likely forgot it as soon as the pain subsided. They were sleeping quietly when I left, so I believe all was well.

I accept the fact that I'm going to be sore after work. But if I get seriously hurt, who will care for them? Given the choice between hurting them or hurting me, it's going to be them. And it's a crappy choice to have to make.

"A horse crawled up my butt...

...and pooped!"

I'm not sure if the resident was proud or distressed about this. I'm voting for proud. It was "an extra large" after all.

(We have to record the size of resident bm's at the end of shift.)

Searching for Bobby Fischer

There's an old movie called Searching for Bobby Fischer about a chess champ. Honestly, I don't know if I've ever watched the movie, but I've been told about it. In one scene, Bobby tells his opponent that he's going to lose and offers to let him concede the match very early in the game. Apparently, Bobby could "see" enough logical moves ahead in the game to know the outcome before even his opponent did. I'm finding that being a CNA requires this kind of mind.

The ability to anticipate the next move and be prepared with a response is a great thing. How many times have I gone into a resident's room, only to find that I don't have the supplies I need to get the job done? I'll bet it's been a thousand just since February. How many times have I found myself rushing around trying to accomplish a task by a certain time? At least five-hundred. Last night, I was thinking that if I could anticipate the next "logical move" then I could be prepared and therefore, efficient and timely.

This morning, of course, I realized that I'm not dealing with chess, which has order and method. I'm dealing with people who sometimes think it makes perfect sense to dance down the hall with no pants on. On the other hand, I could (and should) take a moment to gather my supplies before I start a task, if it's not an emergency situation. I should also take time to plan my day as far as I can, so I'm not rushing around at the end of a deadline. If doing this makes even one task go smoother, it would be worth the minute it would take to think it through.

Privacy Policy

We went over our privacy policy at work at the last In Service. I guess this is a good place to say that I don't divulge personal information about any of our residents. My stories are composites of things that have happened to me at work.

In real life, the incidents are more watered down. Kind of like the difference between sap and maple syrup.

OT Drink Recipe

My time off was fruitful, if only because we made this yummy drink:

ION-P

2 oz. Bacardi Select
2 oz. Bacardi Light
3 oz. Cruzan Mango Rum
1.5 c. Hawaiian Punch
Blend for several seconds until frothy.
Pour over ice in 3-16 oz party cups.
Top with
Seven Up
and a shot of
Bacardi 151.
Makes 3 servings.

Sounds like it would taste terrible, but you can't taste the alcohol. Kind of the same idea as Long Island Iced Tea.

Now it's back to work.