I have a neighbor living around the corner from me who I have known since high school. He was lucky enough to move back to this city and purchase a beautiful craftsman home last year. His lovely home sits right beside an almost identical home. This is common here as many families built themselves a home and then built for other family members on the same lot. His neighbors seem almost like a typical family. The couple’s son lives with them, along with his daughter. His parents are in their eighties, but it makes sense to share such a large house, and have company.

The other day, my friend “Bill” called me with some concerns. It is a well known fact in the neighborhood that the neighbor’s son, we will call him “Pat” (no real names are being used in this article), is a recovering meth addict. Many of us are also aware that he is on methadone treatment because he has no problem sharing this information. However, to those that have trained eyes, he is also still using other substances, and acting erratically. Pat frequently gets in his old truck in the middle of the night and revs the engine, and frankly, he does not look good. He is very thin, pale and has open sores on his face. He comes and goes frequently, and behaves strangely at times.

Bill had a lengthy conversation with the lady of the house, “Anna”. Anna disclosed some disturbing information. Pat had damaged another vehicle and worked it out with the injured party. However, they suspected that he was impaired, and called the police. The police came to see him at his parents’ home, where he was sleeping. They performed a breathalyzer, which he passed and then they left. Anna told the police flat out that he was on drugs, but for whatever reason, they did not pursue it. Anna was furious, telling Bill she insisted they take his license away or at least test him for drugs.

As the conversation progressed, more disturbing information was revealed. Pat pushes both Anna and her very frail husband “Tim” around, physically and verbally. Pat’s daughter “Tina”, who is 11, gets into the vehicle with him when he is impaired. According to Anna he frequently undermines their authority with Tina, and often exercises poor judgment. I couldn’t help but wonder about the financial implications as Pat does not work. It also came to light that there is other criminal activity going on. For example, Bill can recall a time when he observed Pat’s truck was full of brass fittings that obviously had come from a work site in the area.

I have talked to Bill extensively on this subject. My hope is that he will report these activities to the authorities. Here, we have an agency called Community Response to Abuse and Neglect of Elders (CRANE), who exists to help in situations just like these. Bill has been hesitant, and I am continuing to work on him, and have decided that if he does not take action soon, I will make the call myself. Abuse is an uncomfortable subject, regardless of the situation. However, not phoning makes me as guilty as the person doing the abusing in my mind. Not phoning equates to sitting and listening to a man beat his wife next door and pretending to not hear it. It may make us uncomfortable, and we may not want to start a neighborhood war, but it is our duty to report these issues. We need to stand up for the vulnerable, even if it makes us uncomfortable. What would you do?

By Aurora Cyganik-Barker RN, BN.  Aurora has worked in all aspects of long term and seniors care for over eight years. Currently, she works in a rural facility that has both acute beds and a long term care wing that houses 20 residents.

If you are considering a new rewarding job in senior living or in senior care nursing, therapy or administration, be sure to search NSLPN.com for the latest senior care jobs available including Home Health Jobs, Hospice Jobs, Nursing Home Jobs, Independent Living Jobs, and Assisted Living Jobs.

After my session with Evelyn, who painstakingly typed her thoughts on her computer, I stopped at the nursing station to relay her message.

“Can you tell me which aide works with Evelyn Booth in 302?” I asked the nurse.

“Ms. Johnson,” she said, and pointed to a woman in a light blue uniform.

Hearing her name, Ms. Johnson turned and glared at me. “How do you know it was me?”

Surprised, I smiled and spoke in a soothing tone to reassure her. “Did you work with Ms. Booth this morning?”

She put her hands on her hips and spit out a single word. “Yes.”

“Well, she wanted me to let you know she really liked the way you did her hair today.”

“Oh.” She appeared surprised by the compliment, but unwilling to discard her initial suspicion. “Thanks.” She turned and walked away.

In 14 years as a psychologist in long-term care, I’ve occasionally come across an aide who was willing to collaborate with me in helping a resident. We discussed troublesome behavior and found ways to work around it, shared information, and developed a friendly collegial relationship. I’m disappointed such instances are exceptions rather than the rule, and I’d like to see this change. The way I see it, the psychologist is the CNA’s friend, here to make your job easier, not to write you up.

The current punitive system, where CNAs are more likely to be disciplined than rewarded, poses challenges to collaboration, but I think we can do better. I’d like to find ways to bridge this divide, and I need your help. If you have suggestions, or experience with developing alliances between nursing staff and other members of the team, please leave them in the comments section, or send me an email via the Contact Me button. Let’s start the teamwork right here.

For more blogs by Eleanor Feldman Barbera please see her blog at http://mybetternursinghome.blogspot.com/.

If you are considering a new rewarding job in senior living or in senior care nursing, therapy or administration, be sure to search NSLPN.com for the latest senior care jobs available including Home Health Jobs, Hospice Jobs, Nursing Home Jobs, Independent Living Jobs, and Assisted Living Jobs.

Senior care is often described as a calling.  It requires a certain level of dedication and personal sacrifice that is not necessarily a part of other healthcare disciplines.  And every professional working in senior care has a story; a reason behind their decision to commit themselves to serving the elderly.

While the motivations for those choosing a career in senior care are as diverse as the individuals themselves, some of the most popular reasons for entering the field are shared across the industry.

Personal Experience

In settings where children grow up with a close extended family, this is especially true.  Many senior care professionals began as caregivers when faced with caring for an aging family member of their own.  Having experienced the challenges and rewards firsthand, they then feel compelled to continue providing care for others.

Some individuals may not have been responsible for directly providing care. Rather, having witnessed their family’s struggle to find/provide quality care for a loved one, they choose to work in senior care in hopes of making the road easier for others in the same situation.

Desire to Advocate

This often goes hand-in-hand with personal experience.  Recognizing that the seniors are particularly vulnerable to abuse/neglect and to predators that would take advantage of them financially or otherwise, some people join senior care to raise awareness of these issues.  They give a voice to our elder population.

Others people simply want to help and jobs in senior care offer an opportunity to serve.  These individuals have a true desire to improve the lives of elderly and raise the standard of care they receive.

Stability and Growth

There is currently a high demand for healthcare professionals in general, but the outlook is for even greater need in geriatric care.  This makes a career in senior care even more attractive for job seekers at all levels – from nonmedical caregivers for whom higher education is not required, to those holding an advanced degree such as a Masters or PhD.  In an uncertain economy, many newly unemployed people are finding that their skills from other industries are transferrable to jobs in senior care.

It’s no secret that today’s aging boomer population will need more care over the next 20 years and beyond.  This translates into not only job stability, but more opportunities for advancement in the future.

Also, senior care is a great choice for many because it offers such diverse options for work settings:  Assisted living, home care, skilled nursing, hospice, etc.

Relationships

Professionals in senior care often prefer the close one-on-one relationships they develop with their residents/patients.  They are more connected in LTC than in an acute care setting and enjoy hearing about the older generation’s memories and experiences.

Uniquely Rewarding

Senior care professionals enjoy a personal sense of fulfillment from helping others each day.  They also often earn the gratitude of families whose elderly loved ones need care they are unable to provide themselves.  And even when families don’t recognize it, there is unquestionably a special satisfaction that comes from providing comfort for those in the final stages of life.

So what’s your story?

Tell us your reasons for choosing a career in senior care by posting your story in our forum.

And if you’re thinking about starting a new career in senior care, search our senior care jobs for the latest opportunities available nationwide.