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My volunteer work almost got to me today. Honestly, I enjoy the work a great deal. I truly do. But today...well, today it sort of made me blue. While sitting with four of the residents on the dementia/Alzheimer's floor, my world was thrown into a tizzy. One of the women was screaming, "I wanna go home." Another was speaking harshly to me about something. What? I didn't really comprehend. Another was talking about something else that I couldn't really grasp either because of trying to tend to the other two. The fourth woman...well, I don't recall what she was doing because, for a split second, I was frazzled. I eventually got myself together and grabbed one of the women by the hand and began walking her around the facility. When I did this, I told the others I'd be back and, except for the woman who wanted to go home, everyone else calmed down. --- There are people who live day in and day out with family members who have Alzheimer's and/or dementia. Heck, my younger sister did. I truly tip my hat to those who can do it. It's like raising a toddler again because I want to keep my eye on them at every moment. No, I don't fret about them wandering off because all stairwells and elevators are secured by a coded system. And since nobody has given the residents the code, none of the residents can leave the floor. But I do sorta worry about their safety more than I probably should. I am getting to know them pretty well. Or, as well as they'll allow. I find the time I spend on the dementia/Alzheimer's floor is the most challenging volunteer work I've ever done. Some of the people there appear to be as lucid as anybody else I know. It's confusing. Well, I'm gonna keep going to the residence and keep enjoying the residents. When they talk to me and I understand them, it's great. When they talk to me and I don't understand I think it's simply great that I'm there for them to talk to. I hope & pray I'm never afflicted with dementia or Alzheimer's. However, if I am, I also hope & pray someone like me comes to spend time with me.
Kiya, I'm still volunteering in the residence and, from time to time, it still makes me blue. I adore ALL the residents, though, and I hope and pray somehow, some way, they feel/know that.
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