Caregiving Story

In 2002, I was working for an assisted living facility as a CNA. when we received a new resident. Her name was Malvina and she was a feisty Italian woman. She had a tendency to give people a hard time, but for some reason, she and I hit it off immediately. After a few weeks, I came to learn that it was her stepson who placed her in our care after her husband had died. She said that her and her stepson never really got along, so she was glad to be with us rather than living with him. For months, we would exchange stories about our families and grew very close. One night, as I was helping her ready for bed, she told me that all she really wanted was a good steak dinner and a glass of wine. I didn't think that was too much to ask for. I asked my supervisor if I could leave a note for her Stepson, telling him what she wished for and I was told not to bother, that he never came to see her. A co worker and I tried to figure out how we could make her wish come true. After a week, we worked up the nerve to ask our supervisor if we could contact her Stepson and ask for his permission to take her out to dinner. He didn't mind and told us to go ahead. The next day, we contacted her doctor to see if she could have that glass of wine. He said it was fine. My co-worker and I made plans to take Mal out the next week. I can't begin to tell you how excited she was. We went to dinner, where she thoroughly enjoyed her wine and her steak. After that, we took her for a stroll around the local mall. From her wheelchair, she enjoyed peeking in store windows, getting a hand massage from a girl selling lotions and having an ice cream cone. My co-worker and I then took her back to the facility and put her to bed. It was a great night. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, Mal or my co worker. While readying for bed, she thanked us over and over again and told us she would now die a happy woman. I said my goodnight and went home. The following day, I was off. When I returned the next day, I got the shock of my life. My supervisor pulled me aside as I was punching in. She told me she needed to speak to me in private. I couldn't believe my ears when she told me that Mal had passed away yesterday. There was a part of me that was truly grief stricken but there was another part of me that wept tears of joy. She had had only one wish and I was so glad that I could fulfill wish.