What Do I Do Part 2

This is continued from What Do I Do Part 1 making this Part 2.


As I said before so many people come and go who have worked at my Assisted Living Community. There are various reasons to why they have left some have found other employment or retired or just needed to move on. In some cases I have had employees quit because they said it was just too sad working at an Assisted Living Community “they just come here to wait to die”

No they don’t in fact is very rare that someone moves into my building because they are dying. Most of them come because they can no longer live alone. Today families are so on the go and most families are working long hours and it is hard to keep your career when you wondering if Mom or dad is alright. So Assisted Living is one choice they have. There are always someone working and people around checking on their loved one. I know that there are horror stories out there but I give everything I have to my assisted living to make sure that does not happen.

Here is the reason that I stay.

If you can walk from you job knowing that every day you have made a difference in someone’s life then what better job is there to have. I work with people who are elderly yes but they have experiences so many things. They have been places that I will only dream of seen things that I hope I never do. Every day the make me laugh and smile give me hugs when I don’t deserve them.

One afternoon a few years ago I was having one of the worst days ever. I was walking through the dining room on the verge of loosing my mind along with my temper when a hand caught mine. When I look down to see who it was one of our eldest residents hand grab my hand. When I looked down she waved me down like she wanted to ask me something. When I bent over she wrapped her other hand around my neck and gave me a hug then she said she loved me. Then she let me go. This lady had no idea what the kind of day I was having but she turned it around just like that. This woman also taught me the secret to life.

It was about a month shy of her 100th birthday when I was sitting next to her.

“So what is your secret to living to be a hundred?” I asked her expecting her to give me some insight. I have asked this question before to others and got all kinds of answers from drink a shot of vinegar every day to walk 4 miles a day.

This woman nodded her head then waved me close so she could look right in my eyes. She touched the side of my face with hand. She held my face for a few seconds then a slight grin appeared on her lips and she finally said. “Keep breathing”

It was shortly after her 100th birthday that this lady passed away. I wasn’t there I had gone on a trip with my family on the other side of the mountains and when were coming back I had a feeling that she wasn’t there any longer.

I know that everyday I attempt to make a difference in these elderly peoples’ lives but they are making a huge difference in mine.

If you have time and are looking to do some volunteering I recommended giving sometime at an Assisted Living they are always looking for volunteers to read or call bingo or go shopping with them anything.

I don’t think it is sad at all it only that way if you make it so. These people need us as much as they need us.

To be continued…