Let me start this off by saying, I KNOW its a global crisis and I KNOW that I shouldn't be "complaining" about anything as I still have a job, I do not have to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) or Financial support...However, as a HUMAN, I have the right (and honestly, the need) to vent and express myself and my feelings in a safe space. If you are having any feelings, positive, negative or anywhere in between, please comment below, send an email, or private message. Support will ALWAYS be available via social media connection.
Back to your regularly scheduled program .....
So I missed the mark on the last week talking about this international crisis and how it was affecting my daily life and work routine. Let's rewind a week or so.
March 13th - Unknowingly my last day with my clients. A bit of background regarding my job. Until March 13th, I was working as a Recreationist in an Adult Day Program setting. This involved having members of the community that met the criteria of 'senior' (Typically with age-related illnesses, such as dementia) come to our program space, participate in a routine schedule of exercise, lunch, social programs, and activities (clubs, games, and physical/active games).
March 17th- After taking a long weekend, I return to work to find zero clients. My heart dropped. My team had let me know on Monday that we were officially closed to the public, but seeing the program space so empty was shocking to say the least. We spent the day, as they did the previous day, cleaning, disinfecting, and organizing all of our program areas, equipment, and supplies.
March 18th- Still no new information. Still waiting to hear about redeployment, new postings, assistance options, etc.
March 19th & 20th- Previously booked vacation days. Receiving all of my information through the grapevine (Insert "Heard it through the grapevine by Marvin Gaye" Here)
March 23rd - First day on redeployment. As the ADP (Adult Day Program) was attached to the Long Term Care (LTC) facility, sharing entrances, break rooms, punch clocks etc., we were redeployed to the home. I spent the majority of my first day doing online training regarding in-home policies, procedures, and regulations. I also took a 'training' session (a PowerPoint) regarding how to feed residents.
As I finished my training just before lunch, I didn't hop on the floor until later in the afternoon. We had a meeting with the In-Home Recreation staff and the Program Manager. Basically discussing our roles and responsibilities as additional staff. I spent the last hour of my day doing 1-1 sessions and working on a puzzle.
When we met back at the end of the day, the group of ADP staff (4 of us) were exhausted. Emotionally drained in every way. I could already tell that morale was down. This was going to be a bumpy few weeks/months/who-knows-how-long.
March 24th - Today. UGH. Today was day 2. I already feel so discouraged and out of place. With little to no guidance, we are expected to simply 'take over' and jump right into the swing of things. Well, being ADP staff, having a fantastic group of clients with little to no behaviours (per ADP criteria), LTC staff often comment about how 'easy' we have it in ADP.
We (the 4 of us) have already noticed the push back of staff from LTC while we are on the floor. We have had nasty comments, eyerolls, and general resentment from most LTC staff. And I get it, Sh*t's cray cray right now. I understand people are dealing with the chaos of the outside world, information is literally changing by the hour. but GEEZ, we are here to help, the least they can do is say thank you, or point us in the right direction.
Today was only day 2 and I feel like its been a week or longer already.
I don't know any of the residents, what they like, don't like, the attitude they respond best with ... For example, I tried talking to a resident today and was my normal, happy, bubbly self...she refused literally everything I offered. I was told later on that she doesn't like happy people, and that will get me nowhere. Good to know, 5 hours later. (Insert ironic thumbs up here).
So, now we are left to re-train ourselves in what basically feels like a new job that I didn't apply for. I understand that the world is crumbling around us and that I AM essential, but I just feel like I am grasping at straws and it's taking up all of my energy.
I had to feed a resident today. This is something I NEVER saw myself doing and I was SUPER uncomfortable with. I even expressed this to me NEW boss, but the staff made me feel like if I wasn't feeding that I was useless and a wimp. So I fell to peer pressure. How embarrassing as an adult to feel the peer pressures and stressers that I had in highschool?!
I really just hope that this week will be the worst of it and it will get easier. Fingers crossed.
I will be blogging at least once a week as I feel like my emotional and mental health needs it. This is the coping mechanism that I believe will work best to help me through all of the changes that we have experienced so far and the changes we'll continue to face every day until ..????
Okay, that's enough ranting for today. I am not sure I am even making sense at this point, but this is going to be as real as real gets with my blogs, and I will be writing these posts after a long day of getting beverages thrown at me, dealing with behaviours, sanitizing a minimum of a billion times a day and taking bathroom breaks to have a moment alone.
k...Wish me luck for day 3...
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