I know that my staff is not my friend. They are here to do a job. To meet my needs. That's it. They do not have to talk to me if they don't feel like talking. They can ignore me or tell me to leave them alone if I talk too much.
My staff tells me that all I want is their attention. They are right. Sometimes I like to talk and joke around with my staff. I appreciate the care they provide. I would not have a life without them. Like the clients that they serve, no two staff are alike.
On rare occasions, I have had staff who not only cared for my physical needs but also took an interest in me as a person. Staff who treated me like they would want to be treated. Not just a body. Not just a task they had to complete.
Kenyoia was one of those staff. She had an upbeat attitude. She enjoyed coming to work and caring for me. She told me, "If you look good you feel good." She would assist me in picking out nice clothes to wear. Not just fancy lounging pajamas. Clothes. I have tried to keep this up. It's true. When I look good I feel good. She even got me exercising a little.
We all know I have difficulty navigating the ramp in the van. My powerchair tires look like they have been through combat. It takes several tries for me to successfully get in or out of the van. A lot of the staff gets frustrated. Kenyonia would just say, "Come on Grandma." She made a joke of it This took the pressure off of me. I knew I was screwing up. She never called attention to it.
I am dying to go to Whole Foods Market. If Kenyonia still worked for this agency and at this house, I would ask her to take me...The main activity I enjoy is going vegan food shopping. Food shopping was one activity I loved doing with her. She knew about eating healthy. She allowed me to try new food. Most staff do not like to go food shopping with me because I like to take my time. I like to look at everything
I am directionally challenged. I can lose the person I am shopping with, in a split second, when they turn a corner. I also forget that there may be people behind me when I stop to look at something. When this happened while shopping with Kenyonia I would hear, "Grandma where are you going? I would turn and see her dancing up the aisle I was supposed to be in. I was embarrassed but secretly delighted by her behavior. Although we did get some strange looks from other customers.
I am grateful to still be living here. I am grateful for my staff. However, I do not have very many happy memories. I am just a girl who wants to have fun. Most of what I like to do centers around food. A staff member doesn't have to be friends with a client to have fun with them. I don't like to go out a lot. I want to make more good memories when I do. '
Having Kenyona as my caregiver is a very good memory
No comments:
Post a Comment