Today was my first day as a caregiver. I'm working with a sernior care company. I worked a 12 hour shift. The lady is 98 years old and a widow with some friends, but no family. She was nice but there were times where I was unsure how to do things (like find the right switch to turn off a light) where she got frustrated with me. I remained calm and polite. I'm hoping things go well with this job. I don't want her to think I don't know how to do things and report me. What do you think?
12 hoursvis a long day. Make sure you know the law regarding how many 12 hour shifts you allowed to work in a given time. Law may be 3 or 4 days in a row and the agency tries to push 5.
They will tell you all you need to know of communication.
And yup. You are kind and you are polite and you try to see the humor in it all, because it can get real tough out there. Hopefully, as I did, some day you will come to appreciate the spunky, feisty patients who are ENTIRELY inappropriate the most. I have seen spirits out there that WILL NOT go gently into that good night. They remain full of p and vinegar, as they say. And bless them for that.