I never imagined that I would be saying I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life at the age of 19. Well, I mean... I kinda know. I know that I want to work with the elderly population and I want it to be more hands-on, but other than that, I still have no clue. The thought of having an idea of what my career will be as a real adult is extremely thrilling, but it scares the living daylight out of me at the same time.
Working with the elderly is very physically, mentally, and emotionally time-consuming. This job is not an easy job. You have to be willing to give your all every day, no matter what is going on in your personal life. You have to learn to deal with many different problems that arise when working with the elderly such as, broken bones and fractures, illnesses, diseases, the progression of aging, and death.
The most heartbreaking thing, in my opinion, is getting to know the residents as people and not as just patients, and then having to watch their diseases/ illnesses progressively get worse. You try to make them laugh and comfort them as much as possible, but some days that's just not enough.
Don't let me fool you. Not all things about working with the elderly are bad.
You get some fantastic opportunities that not everyone gets. You get to learn about the history of the United States from people who lived that first hand. Some are veterans, others are the children and wives of soldiers. In my opinion, it helps me more to learn the history of the United States from a person who dealt with that part of history instead of learning some of that stuff out of a textbook.
I have received so many pieces of advice that I never thought I would need until I was put in a situation that needed advice and it was the most helpful thing that could have happened. I just had to remember the residents face and the memory of why that advice was given and everything was fine in my head, for the time being.
One of the funniest things that my favorite resident (that I'm not supposed to have), told me was to "Always marry for money, and not love." She always continues to talk about her husband and how they were married for 50 some years and ends the conversation with, "I'm just kidding, marry the love of your life and nothing else will matter."
The best part about working with the older generation is that almost every time you walk into one of their rooms, they glow with a smile of love for you like you are one of their most beloved grandchildren. Their days get better by just you walking, talking, laughing, joking, and most importantly smiling and treating them like valuable human beings.
You have to remember that these people are getting older and their diseases and illnesses might be getting wore sometimes making it hard for family to come visit and see this process thus leaving the residents alone. They just want to feel loved and they feel that love by having some quality time spent with them, even if that just helping a resident into bed or sitting and cueing them while they eat their dinner. It really makes the world for older adults.
I have told many people that if it was possible to work with the elderly full time and never get paid a single penny, then that is what I would do. That is just because I love what I do so much that no matter how much money I will or could make wouldn't compare to the joy it brings me to be working with this generation.
If you have never worked with the elderly population, I would suggest volunteering with them. It not only changes your perspective on life, but it also puts a smile on another person's face and who doesn't like to be the reason for someone smiling. For me, working with the elderly makes my soul happy.
