So this weekend I got stuck working a double which sucks because 16 hours on your feet and constantly dealing with crabby people can wear you down pretty fast. However throughout those 16 hours I had some great laughs from my residents! They are the most enjoyable people to be with and I can honestly say I LOVE my job. Working with Alzheimer's residents can be very hard but it is such a rewarding job. When ever I'm having a bad day I know at least one resident can make my day. I have a few favorites and can't stand others, but yet I find ways to love them as well. I look at my residents as my family up here in Fargo, I have no one to go to for laughs or to talk to while up here at school so these special people treat me like family which is nice to feel like you have someone close. For instance I have one resident who is such a spitfire, literally the FUNNIEST lady you will ever meet the things she says just get you laughing instantly. A situation this weekend that sticks out in my mind was that she had to go to the bathroom so I was helping her get on the toilet, well needless to say she didn't make it, poop came flying out and went EVERYWHERE, she then began to cry and said " do NOT tell my boyfriend" while pointing her finger at me, keep in mind she is a an old lady who insists every young man is her boyfriend even though she has the CUTEST husband ever. Well anyways her "boyfriend" came in to help me clean up the mess (who is another aid) and she goes "fuck you I told you not to tell my boyfriend" hahaha she is SO stinkin cute! Later on that night I was playing with her hair and she told me "quit touching my hair I pay a million dollars for this" so I had to fix it and she then continued to say "now it better look like a billion dollars".
Another resident that is the funniest lady taught me how to speak Norwegian. Such words as: "Tusen takk" which means thank you very much, "Vær så god" which means you're welcome, "Vær så snill" which means please, and last but least "Hvordan å si ha en god dag" which means have a good day. As I had to ask her repetitively how to say these she would take a HUGE deep breath and say it again like she was getting frustrated then I would repeat her and she would giggle like a little girl and tell me that was awful!
People like these two make my job feel so rewarding because they are so much fun to hang out with and talk to, especially for Alzheimer's you NEVER know what they are going to say or what type of story they are going to tell you, but you can always expect it to be funny, blunt and honest.
One lady told me my hair looked like shit and I laughed and she then told me that was not a compliment so I should stop laughing!!
Not everyone is fun though, I do get the ever day pinching, punching, spitting on, and kicked at resident who screams constantly and calls us "crazy bitches" those are the ones that I think whyyy am I doing this but after we are all done getting her dressed and being punched and what not she always asks for a hug and says thank you for being so nice to her.
