Creating a home
for residents biggest reward for health care
aide
Wednesday, September
7, 2005 -- Natalie Miller
When a resident refused to have a bath, the
health care aide brought her a terry cloth
robe, perfumed room spray and created a gift
card entitling her to a ‘free spa’.
As a health care aide for more than 40 years,
the last 15 spent at Riverview Manor in Peterborough,
Jane Livingstone’s mission is to create
a home for the people who reside in long-term
care. That involves connecting with residents,
exploring their past and bringing into long-term
care the comforts of their former residence,
whether it’s a stuffed animal or the
bedspread off their bed. Creating this environment
for residents is also what Jane finds most
rewarding about working in long-term care.
“Being able to make them feel warm
and comfortable and that they are in a family
atmosphere” is what Jane strives to
accomplish.
Jane says she puts herself into the resident’s
shoes. In the case of the woman who refused
a bath, she says she considered how she would
feel if people were telling her what day and
time to bathe. The idea for the ‘free
spa’ was “just to make her feel
a little more special,” says Jane.
When a new resident moves into the long-term
care home, Jane says she makes an effort to
get to know them. She says by sitting and
talking with residents she determines their
likes and dislikes and can suggest appropriate
activities or residents with similar interests.
“When they come in, they feel they’re
not useful anymore. You try to find out if
there’s certain things they’re
interested in.” Jane says this can include
asking them to help with household tasks like
folding laundry, or having them push other
residents’ wheelchairs to the dining
hall. “(I) try and make them feel this
is their home.”
Working full-time during the day shift at
the Peterborough long-term care home, Jane
says she gets to know the residents well.
This leads to finding out the special occasions
in their lives like wedding anniversaries
and spouses’ birthdays. Since some of
the residents can’t go out and do their
own shopping, she’ll bring in a brooch
or small gift for the resident to give his
or her spouse. “You find these things
out as you get to know them better.
“You become very close because they
are part of your family. Some of them remind
you of your grandmother or mother.”
