Journal Entries In Nursing Home

Journal 4, Friday February 19, 2016, 10:00-1:00 p.m.

b. When I arrived to the nursing home, all of the ladies were sitting around waiting to get their nails done. It's one lady that we can hear before she even gets in the room because she's always making sounds like a cat. She comes in meowing just like a real cat. I'm not sure if she thinks she's one or not but the other ladies always tell her to hush. They are so aggressive with how they say things sometimes and I don't think they realize it. I also saw a few patients’ rooms and how they like for their belongings to be placed in their room.

c. From what I have observed and experienced, I get to learn more about each patient every time I talk with them. One thing I can say is that elderly

people always have something to talk about. They are never quiet but they have the kindest hearts. In social work 400, we learned how to apply the knowledge we learn in class when assisting with patients. It’s not as easy to work with elderly people because they don't like to listen. They believe that they are right about everything. I am learning how to be patient though because everyone doesn't comprehend the same especially since they are much older. It could be something that I say that they might not hear clear enough and I'd have to repeat myself. In this case, if it was anyone younger I would probably get mad which is why I have been learning from that. In class we have also talked about empathetic responses, open and ended questions and phrobing. When I'm talking to anyone at the nursing home, I try to use those three things to get them to talk more and it usually works.
d. The activities that I was able to observe from the Social Work observation list would be the various roles of agency staff members. The goal for each staff member this week was to ensure that all of the patients in the nursing home were safe because of the fire that took place.
e. From my observations this week, I had the opportunity to learn how to do an assessment on a patient. I was given the chance to identify residents’ strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and needs in key areas of functioning. As a social worker, I have been learning that not everyone you meet will be friendly with you like you may be with them. You have to learn how to adjust and make a person feel comfortable with talking with you. Everyone isn't going to trust you at first so you have to establish a good working relationship in the beginning.
f. The community resources that were used this week were the assisted transportation for every patient that has to go visit their doctor outside of the nursing home.
g. The population at risk this week would possibly be the patients that are in the “unit” of the nursing home because they need more assistance than others. I think they feel isolated by being separated from everyone else.
h. On a scale of 0-10, I feel my level of engagement and participation this week at the agency was an 8. I learned how to do an assessment on a patient and I am very proud of myself. At first I was nervous but the more that I talked with one of the patients, the easier it became. So far I have realized that the best benefit you can learn from working with others are the lessons you learn about yourself that you may have never knew. This might sound crazy but I actually enjoy working without having my phone out. I know it's a part of the job that we can't have our phones out but I really thought that it would be a drag without it. I'm the type that is so dependent on my phone and I have learned that when you do something you enjoy that something like that doesn't even matter.