Caregiving Story

Even as a young child I have always been fascinated by my elders. When I went to visit my grandma as a child, we would both go visit one of her relatives in a nursing home. My cousin and I would have a blast performing our little dance and gymnastics routines for the residents.
When I was in junior high, we had a pen pal writing project in my language arts class where we were assigned to a resident in a local assisted living development. I immediately took to this project. At the end of the project we went on a class field trip to meet our pen pals. I had such a good time with Edna that I continued to pay her visits and join her in their dining hall on special occasions.
When I moved to California, I was looking for not only a job, but a place to live. It turned out that a live-in caregiver was needed for Ann's mother, Van. Although I had no formal training in this area, I did and still do have a passion for the elderly. I felt comfortable and confident that I would be able to provide the care that was needed. Although there were times that Van would not recognize me, there were also times that I felt that she felt something familiar and soothing, with not only my being in her presence, but the other caregivers that helped during the day. She had this very graceful smile. I not only learned a lot about myself, but I became more compassionate for not only those that develop Alzheimer's, but the impact that these diseases have on their families.