Does this photo suggest I am just a little over-revved, not to say demented, at my new job?I'm holding a tray of table decorations we made: pine cones glued onto circles of felt.
They were supposed to be owls, with eyes glued on the cones, but I have learned that the people I work with do not wait for nor follow instructions---they just start glueing stuff on! The results tend to be more interesting than cookie-cutter crafts.
Thursday is my one full day, and by mid-afternoon, one of the residents told me,
"Sit down and take a break. They will run you ragged."
She's very with-it, obviously, and I thanked her for seeing that I was going full tilt the whole time, which is not sustainable.
It's odd to see the various stages of dementia--this resident was so right about me, but when we talked more later, she couldn't tell me where she used to live.
I try not to put people on the spot by asking such specific questions---it just highlights the deficits in their memory--but I let her emotional insight mislead me.
Mistake.
I will learn to let people show me who they are.
And I will learn to pace myself.
But right now I am so tired, I'm going right to bed.
At 6:30 PM, yes.
Yup. Slow down to something closer to their pace.
ReplyDeleteI always spoke to my demented patients, no matter how apparently far gone. Told them what I was doing, said good-morning. One woman was a screamer, that's all she did all day. One day I approached her and greeted her, "How are you doing today, Weezie?"
"Oh, I'm feeling very well today."
We had a long, lucid conversation. An hour later she was gone again. She had a few more episodes for a few days, speaking with her husband who visited daily.
You never know what is getting through to the undamaged bits of their brains.
Yes, I've already experienced that too--a woman who can't speak makes distinctive paintings--she's still "in there" for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is that there are 29 residents--they would absorb ALL the energy I could throw at them.
I have to accept that I cannot meet all their needs, not even most of them, so I may as well slow down and at least be able to stay.
P.S. You can see by the time of my comment that I didn't go to bed at 6:30... but I'm going NOW, at 7:30. :)
ReplyDeleteFrankie, I'm so excited for you in your new job! And I'm sure you will learn to pace yourself...after a few days of going to bed at 6:30 (or 7:30)pm!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura. I want your help!!!
ReplyDelete