Journal Entries
I had an opportunity to attend a nursing home and help in serving older adults with issues of dementia. Dementia is a disease normally associated with people of old age. The disease is characterized by hearing impairment and memory loss. In the first ten minutes of the first day at the nursing home, I was well-received, and I had a ten-minute discussion with the other staff who informed me of some of the things to expect while associating with patients. The interaction with the staff was to reinforce the care plan that I will be practicing while engaging with older adults.
In my second hour at the facility, I was assigned a patient, and I had to assist the patient move from his bed and take him outside to get some sunlight. It was not in my nature to associate with or assist older adults. I had heard some stories that older adults with dementia issues sometimes pee on themselves. Nevertheless, since I had come for this exercise, I gathered sufficient courage to support the patient I was assigned get out of bed. Unfortunately, as I was assisting the patient from the bed, the patient peed on himself. The action proved the information that I had in mind. It was my duty to help the man to change his clothes. I took off the wet clothes and assisted him to wear new clothing. I then assisted the older man in an outside area to relax and enjoy some sunlight. After all my efforts, I started developing some sympathy for older adults.
I then spent another hour speaking with the man to learn some of the experiences they undergo in times of old age. As he spoke, his voice and attitude were full of contempt. He remembered the past when he had energy and was able to walk by himself. However, his challenges began when part of his family members would not support him. Most of the family members were so busy with everyday lives that they did not even remember to look after him. He had personal needs, but he had n person to support him. He explained his experiences and said that he felt worthless, and he does not feel like he is wanted. He also explained that he had a feeling of homesick and did not experience a sense of belonging. The only thing that gives him hope is the fellow older men that he sees around. I was touched by his experiences, and that made me rethink my attitude towards older adults.
During lunchtime, I had to assist the man in serving and helping him hold his spoon well to eat. It was an awful experience as the man kept dropping food to the ground. His arms and fingers of the hands were shaky and therefore, could not hold the spoon with stability. I did not give up; I kept assisting him in eating food to his fill. As I engaged myself in these activities, my attitude towards older adults continued to change. I kept reminding myself that I will always support the older adults. Although society may consider them less important, they still have some roles to play. They also need to have a sense of feeling to enable them to recover from some of their ailments. By the time I left the facility, I was a changed person.
While engaging with older people, I discovered that I had some misconceptions about older adults. I always thought that people who lived in such facilities were unable to support themselves. I also thought that these older people had issues with cognitive capabilities. I had assumed that they were slow in responding to some life issues. I have also had a picture of old age. The old age is a very depressing, boring life moment. It also feels bad when an older adult has to get help even in doing some simple things in life.
From the exposure that I have had, I have had to develop various changes in the way I approach older adults. Previously, I had a negative attitude towards older adults, and I did not see their need for money. Nevertheless, my approach has changed. I have learned to treat older people with fairness and a lot of care. I have decided to be sending money to my grandmother at the end of the month. Even if it is money for purchasing food items for the house or money for buying food, at least I send them money to use for something that they want or on things that they do not have. Since I have acquired some information about older populations, I have developed significant changes in my life. I have started to spend more time with some of the older adults that I know or some of the people that I associate myself with. I have also learned to associate myself with other activities in the community that help older adults.