by Justin Kenward
I have a deep fondness for nearly all of my clients. I don’t know how you work with people the way I do and not care for them. Which leads me to the number one drawback for my job. Clients pass away. Not just the elderly. So have a healthy relationship with death, and someone to talk to when it does happen. Other than that I don’t have much to say.
There are good things though. The work isn’t hard. Repetitive yes, hard no. As a care giver I don’t do anything medical. I don’t give shots or anything like that. I help with the clients daily living. Bathing, cooking, shopping, appointments, etc. Yes, diaper changing is a thing. Some people can’t do that stuff for themselves. But it needs to get done.
I like to make every moment meaningful for my clients. Especially for the dementia clients who are literally living in the moment.
There’s something magical watching my client with dementia enjoy a cup of cocoa as though it was a new experience with every sip.
Tuna with a drizzle of olive oil, shredded parmesan cheese, chopped spinach, cottage cheese and a tomato. I feed my clients better than I feed myself.
I hate cooking.
My client with dementia has identified this as a butterfly [it’s a teddy bear.]
This job is a constant reminder that no matter how bad my day is I am neither losing myself nor a prisoner of my own body. It’s a reminder that even on my worst days I can still walk outside of my own house with my own two feet. I can enjoy a movie or a TV show and recall it hours later. On the coldest and darkest of nights when I can’t sleep, I know that I can at least get out of bed and grab a snack. Whereas when many of my clients can’t sleep, they can expect to spend up to eight or more hours laying in their bed. Unable to get up and move about.
However bad your day is, remember that there is somebody on this planet who has it much much worse than you do.