Working in the field of long-term care for the last seven years has allowed me to gain a respectful admiration and understanding for the gerontology life span. Over the years, I have seen many elderly people not taken care of properly. Treating this generation as if they were disposable, and not having feelings and concerns for who they are as people can happen to everyone working in the health care filed, the repetition of life’s cares and burdens can lead us to forget that this generation was once working persons just like us.
One of the many reasons the elder generation of our day is not being taken care of in a respectful or proper manner is due to problems, with unreliable caregivers, who are over worked, uneducated and underpaid. In general, a caregiver sets forth actions to care for this generation that will affect them the rest of their lives. Care giving is a natural quality that needs to be validated and reassured by peers and other coworkers. The ambition to care properly can die out if not maintained by self-reflection of why we choose this career in the first place.
While working in the field of long-term care, people should understand that this work is not easy. There are things in which this elderly generation goes thru mentally, emotionally and financially that can break down a person’s mentality. Our burdens and there burdens can become too heavy for the heart to bare. If we as caregivers do not tend to our own needs, we cannot properly maintain coherence, to care for the needs of others. The authority to care for people can be taken for granted. Caregivers need to know there limitations of stress and what they can tolerate, it is never good to take on more than what we can handle.
One of the problems I see in this field is the lack of teamwork or the lack of asking for help when it is necessary. I have actually experienced people telling me that I work in the wrong field because I ask others frequently for help or they have stated I am weak and to sensitive for this field. Asking for help does not make caregivers weak to set forth actions that acquire assistance, help must be communicated to whoever is qualified in the provision of that persons care. Seeking the appropriate help when needed sometimes can go against the majority however; it is wiser to ask than not to have asked at all.
The disrespect and belittling actions that are directed towards this generation is a serious ongoing problem. We are the voice of a wiser generation it is our duty as caregivers to advocate on their behalf know matter the circumstances or situation. Caring for people the way you would want to be cared for is a consideration that all employees in this field should live by. Without the people we care for, we would not have a job, they supply our needs, our wants, and sometimes even our dreams.
The gerontology life span helps us move our feet towards a brighter and better tomorrow. Providing care to our elder generation must be done with respect and kindness. As caregivers, we have the ability to learn and gain knowledge across generational barriers. It is my hope that caregivers worldwide bring forth a change in this filed by using the knowledge we acquire to demonstrate genuine and compassionate work ethics towards our selves, those we work for, and above all those we care for.