Someone Like Me

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.