What do I do? Part 1

What do I do? Part 1

Since 1997 I have been working at the same Assisted Living Community. I was a very naïve 24 years old when I started there. I was actually working two jobs when I started in April 1997.

I was working at a Skilled Care Nursing Home on the Alzheimer’s/behaviors wing for abut a year. The Director of Nursing Services had told me a month prior after giving my a 3 cent an hour raise that I would never find a job anywhere else. I had covered all kinds of extra shifts and never called in sick I was working 40 hours or more a week. I was given a very poor yearly evaluation by a RN who I only saw come down my closed in wing twice in that year time.

My best friend had found a job at this new Assisted Living in town and she called me and told me to apply. I started working one day a week there on my day off because the facility had just opened and they didn’t have enough residents to warrant hiring on more people. I worked just over a month when I got a phone call at 10:00 in the morning the supervisor at the ALF (assisted living facility) that had a full time NOC shift but the catch was they needed it to be filled right away and I needed to start that night.

I picked up the phone called the Nursing home and spoke to the DNS I told her I had found another job and that I was quitting effect immediately. I was expecting her to say something but there was nothing but silence on the other end. I thought she wasn’t getting it so I said that means I won’t be in for my shift today. She really never did say anything by the time I hung up the phone.

So this bright eyed 24 year old girl started her new job. It was perfect because my father was quite ill at the time. My 15 year old brother, 19 year old sister and I were taking care of my dad at home at the time. I could be home during the day while they were gone and then they would be home when I wasn’t. Unfortunately I only worked at my new job for one week when my father passed away.

We struggled for along time after that. I will tell that story another time.

I went back to work at the Assisted Living after missing about two weeks of work. I worked on NOC shift for only about 4 months before moving to day shift. I stayed on day shift learning from the nurses and residents that came and went through the doors of the facility. If there was a diagnosis or a medication I didn’t know about I did tons of research and asked questions of the healthcare professionals I got to know. Three years passed when I was promoted to the Health Service Director. I still have the same job know although the job title has changed several times due to the facility being bought by a different corporation.

What do I do?That question is asked of me quite often. It is hard to define exactly what I do because everyday is different. The basic of what I do can be found in my current job title, Resident Care Coordinator. The base for my job is I do exactly what my title says I do. But there is so much more to it than that. I train, oversee, and supervisor the medication assistants and resident assistants. In the years that I have spent working there so many people come and go. Some of them good and some of the bad but yet I remain. Why???

To be continued..