General Rant. (Some icky stuff.)

[saint]

I don't know if this is in the right place, so sorry if you need to move it, mods.


It's my friday, and I'm ranting.
I dont have normal customers, my customers are the residents and their families. I almost feel bad ranting, but seriously feel the need to.
For those unaware, I work as a caregiver at an alzhiemers care facility.

R=resident F=family of said resident.

Dear:
R1: please stop trying to hit me when I change your undergarment. I promise you will feel better when your not sitting in your own urine. I didn't appreciate you kicking me last week, either.

R2: Please stop trying to hit me. I'm trying to help you. I'ts not okay for you to sit on the couch with diahhrea leaking out of your pants. I promise you will feel better not sitting in your own feces. And I hate cleaning the couch. Please stop playing in your dirty toilet water.

R3: Stop yelling at me non-stop as sson as I get into your room. Or I may drive nails into my ears.
R3's Family: You are assholes.

R4: Stop peeing on the floor/bed/toilet/in the trash can/ etc. And if you continue to walk around w/o assistance, you will fall and hurt yourself..again. and please dont masturbate when i'm giving you a shower. It's gross. really.

R5: Dammit! Stop trying to hit me. And stop calling me a bitch, son of a bitch, etc. And stop screaming everytime I have to do any form of care for you.

R6: you ring that call bell again, and that button is going somewhere unpleasant. You do not have very bad dementia, you just want females to come in your room.

R7: If you are going to defecate on the floor, do not yell at me as I try to clean it up.

R8: you're sweet 99% of the time, but please don't swing your purse at me, or any other resident for that matter.

R10: Gah, you peed on my leg again. And please stop pooping in the shower. It doesnt go down the drain well.

Boss1: our nice, but you need to make up your mind. Don't yell at me for following yesterdays rules today, when you changed them sometime inbetween.

Coworkers: You all are wonderful. Really. Thank you for all you do. I have never come across any group of people as wonderful and caring as yourself.

[unholypet]

My parents worked in a nusing home's kitchen for a while.

Weirdest thing, was that one day one of the kitchen employees did not put seasoning in a soup, so it was bland and gross. Many residents just sent it back for the alt-meal, but this one guy pooped in his soup like CRAZY.

[RootedPhoenix]

Many residents just sent it back for the alt-meal, but this one guy pooped in his soup like CRAZY.

......O..K......
It is my sincerest hope that I am not like that when I am old. Yikes. *shudders*

[Buglady]

Dementia is so sad. My parents (both still pretty young) have said that if it happens to them, they want to be placed gently on an ice floe and abandoned at sea. They don't want to go through it, and they don't want us to go through it.

And Saint, your boss is an asshat for changing rules and adding to your stress. He should be bowing down in gratitude to you and your coworkers (as should the families of your residents).

[spookysonata]

Dementia is so sad. My parents (both still pretty young) have said that if it happens to them, they want to be placed gently on an ice floe and abandoned at sea. They don't want to go through it, and they don't want us to go through it.

My mom's plan is to take a nap in the driveway. Then one of us can "accidentally" back over her with the car.

[chinashirtgirl]

I also work in a care home and I know exactly where you're coming from!

So much so that after two years of working on the demense ward I transferred to another that wasn't.

Especially that one about the guy who rings just so girls will come into his room. Then he always wanted a hug and if you were stupid enough to give him one he'd cop a feel. That's icky quite frankly.

Having good colleagues is a must for sure and I'm glad you have. Most of mine are awesome too except for the guy who just disappears at mealtimes, nobody can figure out where he goes, and he never helps serving or cleaning up. Thankfully he'll soon be doing the night pass which will probably suit him because there are no meals at night...

Glad to see another care home worker on here!

[saint]

Dementia is so sad.

QFT.
It a slow, terrible way to die. It would be better for most to have a stroke and die, than to go through alzheimers.
You eventually lose who you are. You forget how to eat and swallow, at the end. Alzheimers victims starve to death. It can take up to 10 years to die once alzheimers starts. It's hard on the families, also. Several times family members left crying because their parents or grandparents didn't know their name anymore.
And there is no cure. I think that is the worst part for some people. They dont get better, just worse.
It's a truly fucked up way to go. And people always think that they do realize whats happening, but for the first stage, they do. And through all 3 stages there is a lot of fear and anxiety. The only thing that we can do is provide good care, and, actually, care. A lot of times a hug and a smile can make an huge difference to them.

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox. I lost a great uncle to alzhiemers a couple months ago, so it still hurts some.

[saint]

Especially that one about the guy who rings just so girls will come into his room. Then he always wanted a hug and if you were stupid enough to give him one he'd cop a feel. That's icky quite frankly.

Exactly. Or "would you like a back rub?"
"no, but my <male> CWker would."
"I'm going to take a nap now."

[JLRodgers]

This all reminded me of one patient at a nursing home (I knew the guy - neighbor's husband).... he'd walk around naked - one day they finally said "please, you have to wear clothes in here!" later on (and from that day on) he walked around "almost" naked.......... he put a sock on it.

Wouldn't of been that bad if he didn't try to sexually molest all the women workers on top of it (intentionally.... wasn't an old age thing either, he did it when he was younger too).

[Buglady]

QFT.
It a slow, terrible way to die. It would be better for most to have a stroke and die, than to go through alzheimers. <snip>
Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox. I lost a great uncle to alzhiemers a couple months ago, so it still hurts some.

Oh, Saint, I'm sorry for your loss. Random "hugs" from Internet strangers are creepy, but here are some pats on the shoulder for you: ////Saint (That came from another forum where we all had kind of a squicky feeling about the constant (((hugz!!))) that seemed to fly around, but we wanted *something*. So that's what we decided on).

My family has been blessed with quick endings after long lives; it's funny when you start thinking of a stroke as a blessing, but compared to dementia, it really can be.

[GingerBiscuit]

Alzheimer's is horrible, horrible. My grandfather had it, in his case it was exacerbated and made worse by the fact his medication was clashing. AT the end he wasn't my grandfather any more. He was thin, he looked through me, mistook my father for his (my grandfathers) long dead brother, and pawed at my grandmothers arm. She was crying openly. The entire way through he knew her, but only vaguely.

I would rather die then go through that. I would rather die. If I was diagnosed and there was no cure... well let's just say, I wouldn't consider it suicide at that point.

It's not a clean death, it's not neat. It drags and drags and it drags everyone you love underneath with you.

[poofy_puff]

My grandfather has "regular" dementia, not Alzheimer's. He knows who he is and who we are, and his long-term memory is OK, but he is regressing to a child-like state.

[tamezin]

R3's Family: You are assholes.

I worked for a few years after graduating from HS as a CNA, I know it can be extremely difficult dealing with some family members. It is so hard to empathetic with people when they are jumping down your throat. I think you have to take a step back and remember they are dealing with a lot of issues (grief, guilt etc) and you are an easy target, it isn't really personal even though it may seem like it at the time.

[chinashirtgirl]

Exactly. Or "would you like a back rub?"
"no, but my <male> CWker would."

That didn't help with the guy I'm taling about! He would proposition my male co-worker just the same as he did me and then when my co-worker would say, "I'm a guy didn't you notice??" The old guy would shout at him that my co-worker was gay! It didn't make any sense but it gave us a good (and much needed) laugh though!

[penniless student]

I relate... I really relate - I used to work in a nursing home for people with dementia too.

It's so sad to see.