The most personally involved individual in the assistance of residents in assisted living facilities are the C.N.A.s or P.C.A.s that provide day to day ADL assistance. ADLs are Activities of Daily Living and are composed of the actions we take to care for ourselves each day. Going to the bathroom, brushing teeth and hair, bathing – these are all examples of ADLs. Aides assist in these, by job description, but the relationship between a resident and their aide often grows into more.
Aides often form friendships with residents
Many residents of assisted living have family that live too far to visit often, family that just do not take time to visit, or sometimes no family at all. Life can be very lonely for these residents, especially if they refuse to interact with other residents socially. This is where the Aide comes in.
Every day the Aide and resident interact. More than likely, you will see your aide throughout the day, she or he will visit your room or apartment to check in on you or to answer any call placed by you for assistance. This creates an environment of social interaction – even though it may not seem so at first.
Most people that choose to be an Aide do so because they want to help others. They have a desire to give back to others. Yes, there are those that are ‘in it for the money’, but let’s face it- the job of an Aide is a hard one and most often not a high rate of pay. There are literally some places where a fast food worker is paid more than some aides. The payrate depends on many variables – state, city, and facility…along with whether or not the aide is certified or not.
Even the people that become Aides for the pay cannot resist the personal experience of the job. Day in and day out, they are the only people that some residents open up to. They watch as residents either recover from an ailment or deteriorate physically and need to move into skilled nursing. They provide comfort when residents are sad, if another resident moves and leaves friends behind, entertainment in the form of activities, and support in everyday living.
The bond that can grow between you and your aide can be a strong one. Some residents view the aides they have known the longest as sort of extended family members. Younger aides may remind residents of grandchildren or nieces/nephews, while those closer in age to the resident in their 50s-60s may become fast friends.
The personal connection between an aide and the residents they care for follows the aide home. Unlike other jobs, responsibility for the well being of another human is not a job that can be ‘left at work’ easily. Almost every aide is emotionally invested in their residents and the loss of contact with any pains them deeply.
Tags: assisted living aides, assisted living staff, cnas, pcas
