What You Need to Know Before Taking a Job in the Nursing Home System

The elderly are one of the fastest growing areas of population, with more people that are retiring and needing greater levels of care due to illness. In this area of occupation, there is always a great demand, and facilites such as these will always need strong, thoughtful, and caring people to work within its walls. But, what most people do not realize that once you are inside, things can drastically change, and you have to be prepared in order to make those changes if you hope to make this career a fulfilling one.

There are many areas where you may choose to work. There is administration, dietary, nursing (*which includes Certified Nurse's Aides, Medicine Aides, and Restorative Aides), maintenance, grounds, central supply, and many many others. The most common of these is the nurse's aide, whose sole job is to work with residents of nursing homes and/or assisted care facilites in order to give them the required care and enhance what is called their 'quality of life'.

What exactly is 'quality of life'? Basically, it is allowing the resident to do the things which make them the most happy and comfortable, such as maybe letting them have a favorite meal or taking them to church on Sunday morning. While these may seem like simple things that we often take for granted in life, to an elderly person they are the stuff that dreams are made of. Just being able to get out and converse with others or talk a long walk in the sun is like us going to Vegas and hitting the jackpot three times on three different machines for that big pay-out. These kinds of activities are but only a few examples of quality of life, and there are many more that can be observed if a erson would merely pay attention to waht it is that they do each day.

Now, in the role of Nurse's Aide, there may be a lot of tasks that you will have to do that may not seem the most desirable when you first get into it, but as the old saying goes :'It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it'. These jobs may include bathing them after they have had a BM on themselves, emptying commodes, cleaning up messes that may be created from urine, feces, vomit, blood, and other liquids that may eminate from the body. There is a chance that you may have to change adult diapers and then clean the resident if they are not mobile enough. You may have to empty catheter bags and bedpans. You may even have to feed them if they are not able. I know that this may sound like a completely disgusting job, but what has to be understood is that these people may not be able to help what is happening to them, and they need loving and caring people that are willing to go the extra mile and help them with these things. Maybe that person could be you.

Now, there are other things that a person must take into account, and that is each person's individual personality. Obviously, every person is different. They may dress differently, practice their spirituality differently, or maybe even eat diffrently. Whatever the case may be, you have to get to know each one individually. Get to know their likes and dislikes as well as their moood changes, as even those may vary from day to day. You will need to know their dailty schedules, and find out what kinds of things that they like to do. You will also need to know how to deal with each one on an almost medical basis.

Now, while you may not be a doctor, it can be very obvious as to if a person has a form of physical or medical ailment, such as being on what is called a 'feeder bag' or if that person has Alzheimer's diease or dementia. It is with these that you will have to remember what makes them tick. You almost have to get inside of their minds and see patterns in behavior and habits that they have. You may have to constantly remind them of the time and day. You may have to remind them of pill schedules and/or doctor's appointments. You may even have to tell them what they are eating, because at times they may not remember. Sounds like a whole lot of work, doesn't it? Well, in all reality, it very much is.

The next thing that you will have to understand is that when people enter facilties such as these, they have come here for one specific purpose (* and this is not meant coldly): These people have come here to die. I know that it sounds harsh, but it is the unfortunate fact that lies behind this sort of career, and in order to keep yourself level, it is a barrier that must be overcome as well as understood. In all truth, it is very easy to become attached to the people that you care for, and you most likely will, and you have to be prepared for the day when that bed may become empty or that chair. There is also a very good chance that you may have to help a co-worker get the body ready to be taken to the funeral home, and that by far, is one of the most difficult jobs to do. To you, if you were close to them, is like taking the body of someone you cared about and just letting them go as if they were nothing. This is not the mentality to have, as the best thing to do in a scenario like this is to think of all the gladness that they have put in your life and hope you had done the same in theirs. This is not only a necessity, it is also a job skill that you must obtain unless your gried becomes too great to bear.

The greatest setback to a position such as this is the stress. Nurse's aides are known to be one of the most highly-stressed positions that a person may have. It is low pay, most facilities do not have benefit packages, it has long hours that may include double shifts, and then there is the emotional side that may leave you feeling drained and tired all of the time.

But, do not let this stop you if this is what you want to do with your life. Working in nursing homes is a great and fantastic experience that looks good on any resume. It will not only test the limits of your endurance, but also your imagination as if you are a creative person, you may find ways that you can help enrich someone's life. There is a great demand for jobs in this business, and they are always looking for fresh talent as there is also the unfortunate fact of high turnover rates in this field due to stress (* as I have stated above), unhappiness with the work, problems with residents and staff, and so on. But, if you do decide to stick with it, the rewards can outweigh far greater than the problems.

A nursing home career is one that is frought with strife, laughter, sadness, and gladness, and every day there are new challenges that will be presented before you. If you are a person that likes to be challenged, has wanted a job in a medical field and cannot afford a proper education, or you just simply like old people, then nursing homes are a great place to start. Who knows, Granny or Grampy may just thank you for it!