Well I have officially been on my job as the Activies Director for 90 days now, so I am officially off "probation" and I still LOVE my job. I am finding how quickly things change though from one moment to the next. Th Alzeimers patient that I adored so much passed away early last month rather quickly. She had gotten sick and went to the hospital, came back, went on Hospice and was gone a week later...it all seemed so sudden and I wasn't quite prepared for the feeling of loss I experienced. She was well loved by staff by residents alike and it was a hard loss for us all. It was the first of four deaths in one month....I am seeing the gifts that come with TIME SPENT with a person, no matter how fleeting. I am learning so much and am rewarded daily.
I have developed a wonderful friendship with another 82 year old woman on Hospice and every moment with her is a gift I cherish. We have a daily routine now where I wake her up..no matter how soundly she is sleeping...to say good morning, and then I sit and talk with her later in the day when she is more alert and oriented. I look forward to those moments with great anticipation because I never know what will come from them..sometimes it is just sitting and holding her hand...sometimes we are laughing and joking like old friends who have known each other for years and there isn't a 40 year age difference between us... whatever each day brings that she is here shining her light is a gift I hold dearly to my heart. One of the perks of my job.
