I had my trial day at the nursing home yesterday. Quite interesting. So many impressions that first day back to work after 3,5 years in a field that I haven't been in before. And it was extra hectic, because of increasing Covid infections, testing and all that, so a lot of adjustments on the normal schedule.
Basically it is mostly about serving breakfast, tea and coffee and then dinner for about 40 elderly people up to age 101. Some want to have dinner in their apartment, others need help getting to the dining room and back (I hope I don't bring them back to the wrong apartment, lol.) And in between, just interact, talk, crack a joke, listen or just sit with them etc.
Still a lot to learn faces and names, who wants one slice of rye bread, or white bread without crust cut into 8 pieces with jam or cheese or peanut butter, tea without or coffee with milk getting a feel on who is up for conversation, who loves bungee jumping or rather go paint, who is deaf or talking very soflty. Some with dementia or other illness. Some cranky, demanding and others cheerful. Even though those moods are not related to age of course. We all go through them. ;-)
There's a man that is 101, who you would not estimate more than like in his 70s. Still very active, fulll of life and talkative. He reminded me of a neighbor of my mom. That lady still played tennis in her 90s, albeit without the dives.
Good thing is that we always work in teams of two, so there is always helping each other. But I also see how stressful it is for the other care workers and nurses. They are seriously understaffed and overworked. And then flu season still has to start.
But I think I will like the job even more when the experience level grows. To me it is still basically about making people feel as comfortable as possible in the final stretch of their lives and then the other tasks go naturally as well.
Saturday is my first actual working day there. First two weeks will be with guidance of colleagues. And then let's see how much my old brain still remembers.
Will keep you posted
