I guess I should write a little about my new job. I don’t know how much I can really say on here because if anyone found out about my blog and they read the posts where I talk about work then I could get fired. And Lord knows I have been unemployed for long enough!

Yesterday was my first day at work. I parked in the front because, although I knew about the employee parking lot, I had no idea where it was. I clocked in at 3:00pm because my schedule says 3-11. Later they tell me to come in at 2:30 because they take 30 mins off for our lunch (dinner) break. I wish I had known that before. I go up to the front desk of station 1 (there are 4 stations and I was placed in the first one) and after finally getting someone’s attention I am able to tell them who I am and who am I suppose to be with? No one has a clue. Great. I had been told (they told me a lot of useful stuff, as you can see…) who I was going to follow but she wasn’t even working last night. They throw me with someone who usually works on station 3 and doesn’t really know any of the residents in station 1. She tells me we’re practically in the same boat. Even better!

I really take a liking to my trainer, let’s call her J. Her daughter is actually the supervisor for afternoons and has been working here since she was 16. Back then you didn’t have to be 18 before working. J has been working at the nursing home for 21 years. Twenty one years is a long time to be wiping butts. And that’s exactly what I do for the 8 hours I’m there. At the beginning of every shift we are given a sheet that tells us our residents. Usually one aid (that would be me) has six rooms, aka 12 residents. Only about half of the residents need their vitals taken and the ones that do, this is the time to do it. Vitals take on 30 or so minutes. If any of the numbers are abnormal we have to go hunt down an LPN (licensed practical nurse) and tell them. Half the time they don’t do anything about it. I love it when superiors shluft (I made that word up just now) off their work on others. After vitals is when the fun starts. Before you read on, know that I was joking. Resident by resident we have to check to see if their “dry”. You know, if they’d soiled themselves. There is a very long drawn out way we have to go about cleaning them up if they’re wet or “dirty” I know you’re probably thinking how disgusting it must be to have to clean up a grown elderly when it’s not even that great to clean up a baby. You just have to think of it differently. Or rather, the same. You take care of a baby because they can’t do it themselves. Well, if these people could take care of themselves, they wouldn’t be in a nursing home. Yes, it is gross but I do it because I feel sorry for them. I think about how I would want to be treated when/if I get like that. We are constantly checking them to see if they’re dry. Think of how uncomfortable it must be to be laying in your own bodily fluids and such? Some of the aids don’t check them often enough and they get all red and stuff. It’s not pretty and I can imagine it hurts.

When we’ve finished cleaning everyone that needed it we start getting them out of bed and into their wheelchairs if they want to get up for dinner. Some stay in their rooms and eat while we take the others into the dining hall. Last night I was in charge of feeding three of the feeders. The residents who can’t feed themselves are called feeders. The only difference in feeding an elder and feed a baby is that the elders can talk back. When they don;t want to eat we are suppose to try to get them to. It’s not easy when they keep refusing. Or if they don’t like what’s for dinner. After a little sweet talk you just give up. We can’t force them to eat. After everyone’s done eating (yes even the people who refuse to eat have to wait for everyone else) we begin to take everyone back to our station. They don’t go back in their rooms yet. We usually let them watch TV in the tv room or some just wonder the halls. My lunch break is at 7:20 and so far I have been bringing my meal. I plan to every night if I can help it. The food the residents eat is what they feed us. YUCK!

When it’s time for bed we have to put everyone back in their bed while checking their “cleanliness” again. Two times tonight I had poopers while I was changing them. Not cool. We put on their pajamas then too. I really do feel for these people. I know that they’re use to it by now but I wonder how they felt the first time in a nursing home? When we’re changing them they are completely exposed and their butt cheeks are being spread apart by some stranger who’s wiping their butt and genitals. I wish there were a more discreet way of going about it but there isn’t. Fortunately everyone’s use to it and it’s a little sad. I tell you tho: I am so going to be ready for motherhood.

I can’t wait to start working on my own but at the same time I know I’m not ready yet. I think I get two weeks of training before I’m set free and I plan to be hands on as much as possible. It’s the only way to learn. I know that it will take a while before I get to know every resident. You can tell the people who’ve been here the longest. H was my trainer tonight and although she’s only 19, she works full time and since her mother is a supervisor in another station she was practically raised at the nursing home. What a place to grow up.

I promise I won’t go into as much detail as I have in this post anymore. I only wanted to have to explain myself only once. I hope I took care of it tonight. Sorry if this was boring or gross for you but this is my job. Sometimes boring and almost always gross.