A sobering day at school.
Today we learned about many subjects.
First we learned all about Alzheimer's and how to care for not only the patient but the family that is affected by AD. The patients are relatively easy, the families are the ones in the most need of help. Very sad to realize that most of the work involved is trying to help the survivors cope.
Next we learned all about the horrors of Long Term Care. They had us all roleplay as geriatrics with various illnesses. One by one, we all ended up restrained, considered senile, all of our prized posessions taken, broke and eventually dead. It was an exercise to teach us compassion for the very human people who we will be dealing with. I hope that it sticks. Very depressing really.
Then we learned how to care for the deceased...how to prepare the body to be seen by the family and how to make it less ... unsettling. A necessary part of our work.
Then we learned about Hospice. I was very excited by this part, as I want to work with a Hospice organization. I believe very much in what Hospice does for their patients. But it was very quiet in the lecture hall.
Many deep thoughts running through everyone's mind.
Interesting day. They had everyone dress nicely (business casual) in order to reinforce the seriousness of the day's lessons. Very interesting. There were actually a few students who had either in clinical or in real life, had the opportunity to dress a body. It actually brought tears out in a couple of cases. Very somber day. Good lessons though.
First we learned all about Alzheimer's and how to care for not only the patient but the family that is affected by AD. The patients are relatively easy, the families are the ones in the most need of help. Very sad to realize that most of the work involved is trying to help the survivors cope.
Next we learned all about the horrors of Long Term Care. They had us all roleplay as geriatrics with various illnesses. One by one, we all ended up restrained, considered senile, all of our prized posessions taken, broke and eventually dead. It was an exercise to teach us compassion for the very human people who we will be dealing with. I hope that it sticks. Very depressing really.
Then we learned how to care for the deceased...how to prepare the body to be seen by the family and how to make it less ... unsettling. A necessary part of our work.
Then we learned about Hospice. I was very excited by this part, as I want to work with a Hospice organization. I believe very much in what Hospice does for their patients. But it was very quiet in the lecture hall.
Many deep thoughts running through everyone's mind.
Interesting day. They had everyone dress nicely (business casual) in order to reinforce the seriousness of the day's lessons. Very interesting. There were actually a few students who had either in clinical or in real life, had the opportunity to dress a body. It actually brought tears out in a couple of cases. Very somber day. Good lessons though.