Saturday 20, 2012
Yesterday I learned how to play dominos with a few residents. I felt like I was playing with children because the residents were arguing with each other about who's turn it is. One resident insisted that he keeps score and he cheated! He wrote down the wrong scores giving himself of course the highest score. It was just surprising how they argued like children and I would be the one trying to make them understand. Mr. Porter, the resident who cheated, would also get very irritated if someone took long in their turn. The nursing home is also a rehab center so many of the residents have gone debilitating conditions and are recovering. Many of the residents are not in the right state of mind, and when they speak to me and ask me questions, I don't understand what they are saying. I just respond by saying "Yeah" or "okay", and they get really upset with me.
I'm not afraid of getting old, but when I'm a senior citizen I'm afraid of becoming mentally ill and becoming physically dependent on others. Since I usually come in after they have lunch, one lady was sitting on the table with an empty plate and she was tapping the plate on the table continuously and when I looked at her few minutes later she was tapping her glass against her plate. Every time I looked over she would be tapping something against the table. Of course I know I won't be able to do everything that I can now, but not being able to eat or use the restroom on my own scares me. The resident who likes to sing along to Elvis Presley, I saw him cleaning up the floor with his hands, I tried helping him by bringing a broom, but he didn't want me to sweep, he wanted the trash in his hands. Another resident who had a stroke is paralyzed from her legs down, and when she was slipping off her wheelchair she yelled for the nurses, she relied on the nurses for everything. The residents who are mentally healthy, just sat in their chairs quietly and not really interacting much.
I am getting permission from the head of the nursing home in order to take pictures of the residents, so I can post them. :)
I think you are doing wonderful things for your residents. Getting old is scary, I know and I feel the same way you do. But I know that having someone young and interesting come to visit with them, is a real boon for your residents. Watch using the real names of your residents but overall excellent blogs and work!
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