Thinking about this first week and the semester ahead makes me have a variety of feelings. I feel the normal nervousness that comes with starting something new. Having never been to Rose Manor and not being familiar with the facility, it's easy to feel slightly nervous about going there. Some of that will be gone after getting into a routine.
When I consider what is most daunting for me, I would probably list paperwork, which involves writing good treatment plans and documentation.
I look forward to learning more about seniors and working with them at Rose Manor. I've always enjoyed working with seniors, and one of my goals has always been to work in a SNF. In class recently, I talked about the volunteer work that I used to do in a SNF.
One interesting thing that I learned this week was about the ombudsman program in Durham County. I had never heard of this program, and I enjoyed learning about all the ways that they advocate on behalf of seniors and help improve their situations.
I appreciate the fact that the ombudsman program promotes the rights of SNF residents and their families. Sometimes, residents and their families don't know where to turn or what to do, and an ombudsman can provide the information and assistance that they need. This is especially important for residents who don't have family members living in the area. For example, when I volunteered in a SNF, I learned that there was one resident there whose only daughter lived in Texas, so there were no relatives nearby to check in on her and make sure that she was receiving appropriate care.
This week I also learned that only 4.5% of senior citizens are in SNFs. I would have thought that this number would be much higher. I think that it's great that so many people are able to keep a certain amount of independence by living either at home or with family.
I have a friend whose grandmother lived alone in the mountains until she was 102. For years, her relatives encouraged her to move in with some of them. She would always say, "I will when I become old." She finally moved in with a daughter until her doctor told her that her daughter, who was in her late 80s, was too old to take care of her! She then moved into a SNF.
This first week has been very interesting, and I'm looking forward to learning much more in the coming weeks.
You can find more information about the Durham County ombudsman program at this link:
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