Working with Alzheimer's
patients can get very challenging. The fact that a person with this disease can
suddenly lose control of their brain at any second is a scary
thought. When a person started to yell and scream unexpectedly, I had to think
fast. I needed to calm them down and reassure them that everything was okay.
Talking to them helped them think and listen and sometimes, I would start a
conversation with them. They seemed happier when I started conversations with
them. I was glad to hear stories about what they remembered when they were
children. However, it saddened me because they couldn't remember anything
recently that has happened.
Personally, I overcame some of my
shyness by talking to the patients at Aegis Living. I went up to people and
tried to start conversations with them. I also became gentler. People with
Alzheimer’s disease can be sensitive. I watched what I said around them to make
sure I didn't say anything to offend them even if it wasn't considered
offensive. Lastly, I learned that Alzheimer’s cannot be cured. However, keeping
the mind occupied may prevent this disease from happening.
There weren't many challenges I
encountered when volunteering at Aegis Living. The ones I did were when the patients
were fighting. It was scary how fast a person’s emotion can change so fast. I separated
the two patients and tried to bring up an interesting topic to talk about.
Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't When it didn't work, I got one of
the caretakers that worked there. Another challenge was when patients asked
when their family was coming to visit them. I had to lie to them and say that
their family was coming. One time, this lady asked me when her husband was
coming and it hurt to say that he was coming soon because I found out that he
passed away a while ago. Before I could be strong for myself, I had to be
strong for them.
