Growing up, I’ve never truly known what I wanted to do as an adult. I still don’t. We have all had those jobs where we have just clocked in, gone through the motions while constantly checking the clock to see if it’s time to go home, and clocked out.
For the past year, I’ve been working in a group home for adult individuals with special needs. I’ve always been fascinated with individuals with mental disabilities such as autism or down syndrome.
Before I started this job, I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. Previously, I had worked in fast food restaurants and retail stores. I was good at that, but it didn’t make me feel important. I was just a college student aimlessly wandering through life trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
My normal job duties include a wide variety of responsibilities. Every day that I go into work, I clock in without feeling the agony of the time clock. I check the task sheet to see what I’m responsible for that day. One day I could be cooking dinner, and another day I could be passing medications. Some days we have activities, such as arts and crafts, and I help them with these activities. I’m responsible for showering and toileting my clients. I’m also responsible for making sure that they meet their individual needs. There’s much more to it than that, though. Not only am I responsible for the technical aspects, I’m also responsible for allowing these individuals to live the most normal life that they can.
A lot of our individuals are elderly and fragile, and sometimes things go wrong. There was one incident where a client was not feeling very well. It was morning and it was time to get ready for the day. We realized this individual wasn’t feeling well, so we walked her to the toilet. We helped her pull her pants down so she could be toileted. She went to sit down, but she was weak and fell to the floor. She soiled herself and not only was she rolling around in her own bloody feces, but it got all over me and the other lady who was assisting her. With both of us covered in feces, we stayed with her until the EMTs arrived. Later, after they left, I was the lucky one who had to clean the bathroom. The individual is okay and stable now.
Someone recently told me that I must be pretty "level-headed” to do what I do.
I like to think that that’s true. All I know is that every day I walk in, see their smiles, and know that I’m going to be making these individuals' lives a little easier and hopefully a little better. I like to tell people that I get paid to get hugs.
Although this may not be what I want to do with the rest of my life, I’ll tell you what, I never realized I would absolutely fall in love with a job. Life isn’t about living in the future. Life is about living in the present. And if you don’t love what you’re doing right now, how are you going to be happy in the future?
