From generation to generation

I really can't believe it's been a year now. It's flown by and yet, at times, it feels like we've been doing this for a lot longer. We've only known each other for a year yet we've become very close very quickly. I feel as though I have learned so much and yet I know there's still so much still yet to come.

I'm really excited about this summer and working with geriatric patients. I was very close with my grandmothers before they passed and spent a lot of time visiting them in the nursing homes. Through my times with them, I learned a lot of different homes and sections, such as the dementia unit. I also got to meet and learn about many other incredible people, from spies to teachers, with amazing stories. Each person I got to know had something very interesting to teach me. I look forward from learning from folks this summer and applying to my life, after all, with age comes wisdom. This summer I hope to learn a lot more from an OTA point of view versus just an onlooker. I'm excited, and nervous, about really getting to know people and being able to work with them. I hope to make a difference in their lives and help them in a step towards recovery.
It makes me nervous, or anxious, about making plans to follow for each session. I worry that what I come up with won't work, or won't really be helpful to the patient. I really want to help these folks in their step to recovery and want to make sure my goals I set are truly following their goals. I also worry about all the paper work! I never knew it would be so much to do even though I should have realized with all the talk about documentation. It seems overwhelming, but I'm sure I'll get used to it once it all begins.
This week, I learned how quick we have to be when making our evaluations about our treatment sessions. We don't get a week to stare at our computer screens while typing a note about how the session went. Instead, we have about 15 min. to do at least one note and probably two or three.
It will be very interesting to really begin applying what we've been up to this last year to 'real people.' Instead of practicing with fellow classmates or professors, we will be in the field. It's pretty exciting to think we're really going to be taking words from a text book and using them with real life situations.