I was 20 years old and living on my own. Johnny was almost 2 and I was in college working towards my nursing degree. I had a month from Christmas until classes started up and decided to get my CNA certification so I could work in the field and try and get as much exposure as possible. The Red Cross often runs classes and being a single mom living on my own all while in college full time and working I was able to qualify for the grant and participate for no cost. I did have to sign something stating that I would work in elderly care for six month upon completing and passing my exam.
I had no intentions of working with the elderly. I love the rush of craziness and was wanting the ER. However the ER isn’t a qualified elderly care facility. I went through all the local places that were listed by the state as elderly care and found my loop hole. I quickly went down and applied for a position at the lock down mental rehab. It consisted of four wings. One was elderly patients and somehow I was able to have my time their spent as a fulfillment of my grant.
It wasn’t that I was scared of old people. I mean how could I be more scared of taking care of them then 20-30 year old crazy people there put for mental purposes. It was the old men that I didn’t like.
I don’t know why but I didn’t have many “old men” influences in my life growing up. My grandparents weren’t old. Heck today my parents aren’t even 50 yet, but in my mind old men were these creepy perverted people. The idea of being alone in a room with them just made me uncomfortable. Then it happened. I had no choice. The staffing was low on the elderly unit and they floated me down. There was no avoiding it now.
And then I learned. Old men are nothing to fear. It’s the old ladies.
See, for some reason as us woman age we somehow turn evil. Not all of us, but most of us. Don’t judge me either. You were just complaining about how at Walmart they are the worst cashiers 😉
Over time I did more then six months there I ended up loving my time and the patients there. Maybe I was more like them then I’d like to admit at the crazy house. From their I got a therapy aid position at the hospital and two month later I landed an inside position in the ER and they gave me more training then ever. This is where my theory was confirmed. No matter what the situation was- the woman were the ones to avoid. Nothing you did was good enough and all they did was moan and complain. Rather it was those little old men that made your day.
See the older a man gets it seems the more relaxed and silly they become. Enter this man:
This picture sums up my opinion now. The old man is always the one to cheer you up. Years after leaving both the mental facility and the hospital I could name about 5 of my favorite male patients. First and last name. I can only think of two ladies names. There was Rita and if she told me I showed her who-ha to the man across the hall one more time through her “back door” (open johnny jacket) she was going to hit me with her cane.
There was also Maria. The 350 lb true Italian hip patient I had while pregnant with Gavin. She was the one who put me on bedrest the last two months (literally). I swear I can still hear her screaming at me in Italian years later. But she loved me, she was just mean at heart lol
Have any theories you grew up with that in life turned out so wrong?
Haha. Well, I always thought I’d give my kids baths before bed – I even told my MIL that this would ALWAYS be the case. As my children sleep soundly tonight, I’m having a hard time recalling the last day they had a bath.
Yeah, I knew to never make promises with my MIL. period. lol
Well, yes in a way! I thought my mother and I were as different as day & night. We use to argue to know end, and things like forgetting, she didn’t hear well or pay attention, and she use to do little annoying things like eat with her mouth open at times that were embarrassing. I wish she were here today so I could apologize for arguing with her so much. Now, my daughter and I argue, but we love each other so much, as I did my Mom. Only thing is I think I’m turning into my mother, and now I understand. The forgetfulness it’s just there you can’t help it. It happens. You still think it’s 1980 sometimes as she thought it was still in the 40’s or 50’s. It was like yesterday to her. I miss her. Wait until you get older my friend. You’ll understand about age a lot easier.
During that same time frame I wrote my mom this really long letter about how I was sorry for making life so challenging for her and now being a mom I understood her sacrifices. I found it in her nite stand drawer last year when she told me I could find lotion in there for my hands. I commented on seeing it in there and she said it meant the world to her to know I understood and appreciated all she gave up herself as a young single mom.
LOL this is so true! Us women get mean and crazy, LOL!
This is so TRUE!!! I worked as a home heatlh aide during nursing school and I would work 12 hour shifts at older peoples homes. I can remember one older woman who had Dementia and her husband was out of town so they need someone to help her. Both her and her husband were missionaries when they were younger so when I started hearing her talk about some pretty graphic stuff I was BLOWN away. I guess she had worked in a brothel in a poor country and she must have thought I needed some saving 🙂
Needless to say when I finished nursing school I got a job working with babies 🙂
I had the same feelings as you. After reading your post and thinking of the older people in my life, I see it now. As the men age, they get softer and nicer, as women age, they get mean and cruel.