My 3rd week of Clinical.......Hummmm

I have just finished my 3rd week of Clinical in my 2nd Practicum (as an RCA) and all I have to say so far about this new experience of mine is that every day so far has not been dull. The residents that I am working with are total care (I do every thing for them) and they all are in the middle to late middle stages of Dementia of various types. So far I have been kicked, pinched, hit, had my scrubs yanked at, been told that I am hated while performing A.M Care (and I don't blame them when they say they hate me, I would hate it to if I was being turned this way and that!) I am counting my lucky stars that I haven't had shoe thrown at me, yet, and I haven't been spit at...so far. As a rule of thumb as I am learning is to always have two sets of work cloths on my person at all times while working.

But aside from the physical and some verbal abuse that I am enduring dealing with this people in Dementia, there is a lighter, even funny side to it all and these are things that I like to bring home with me at the end of the day and in a weird way it is what makes it all worth while.

Remembering back to my first Practicum I was working with an elderly lady. She was in the late first stage of her Dementia and was quite aware that something was not quite right in her world. She was charming and loved to tell stories about her childhood and as it turned out her and I had things in common. On my second week at this facility, I was running late and I did not have a chance to my first coffee in the morning. I was tired and couldn't wait for my coffee break. As I was counting down the minutes, I decided to sit with my elderly lady while she counted down the minutes for her lunch. We got talking and as we were talking, she stopped and looked at me and declared that I looked tired. I said I was and I looked over at her neighbour who was sleeping soundly in her wheel chair, I decided to tell her that I wish that I was able to take a nap. My elderly lady grabbed my hand, looked at me very seriously and told me that was not a good idea because that is when things go missing! (From the memory banks.) That really did put a smile on my face.

She was my first resident and I don't think that I will ever forget that moment.