Lately I have been thinking what about the field of home healthcare makes me happy? I mean if I was going to be real with you most of the work is stressful. And I had another client pass away recently, so what is good about that? Most would say nothing.
In thinking about recent events, I would say it’s the human spirit you find in home healthcare that makes me happy. What I think about is the will, the empathy, the compassion and yes, even some humor in our work we can find when a person is in the latest stages of life. It’s the will of a person who finally allows herself to be cared for because she has been so independent up until now and just couldn’t accept help before. It’s the generous nature of nurses who go above and beyond to make sure she is comfortable, even interrupting their lives to do so. The compassion of the CNA who sits by the bedside comforting, holding their hand, and telling them that everything is going to be alright and that they are o.k. It’s the CNA that agrees to stay and wait with the family and the Hospice nurse showing concern for everybody’s welfare. It’s the staff expressing the juxtaposition of grief and humor in a situation where one would not expect to find humor, because as we all know, laughter is the most effective medicine to get us through the toughest moments. And without fail all of this always happening in the middle of the night or early morning.
That’s humanity. That’s the answer. Working with compassionate people who care about people facing the struggles of everyday life and experiencing tough moments. It’s the human spirit in home healthcare that makes me happy to be a part of it. Humanness clearly outshines the stress. That’s what’s on my mind.