Losing a Patient
I have been working with a 58 year old Alzheimer's patient for a couple months now. We grew very close and I so looked forward to going to work everyday just to see her and do things with her.
When I got home today, I got a call from my office. The woman said she hates when she has to make these phone calls, and she knew this one would totally shock me, which it did.
My patient's husband asked them to take me off the case and send a new caregiver. The reason he gave was that I was not keeping his wife active enough.
I'm in such a state of shock right now, because she and I did so much together every day!
I'd get there at noon and we'd take the dog for a long walk (in the heat of the day). Then we'd come back and I'd make her a nice lunch every day. Then we'd vacuum, dust, clean, do laundry and whatever else needed doing.
Then I'd put on my "Dancing with the Stars" cardio workout DVD, which took about 40 minutes to get through. Then we would take the dog out for another long walk (in even hotter heat). Then we'd come back, I'd feed the dog, fold the clothes and give my patient her supplement drink before my shift ended at 5:00 pm.
We also did yard work sometimes, cutting branches and stuff, planting flowers.
I've been wracking my brain all day trying to think how he could even think I wasn't keeping her active enough, unless he was questioning her. She doesn't remember things from one minute to the next, so maybe she didn't remember all we did all day.
I am just devastated and have been crying since I got the call. It's like having a black mark on my perfect record of caregiving and the worst thing is, it is so undeserved. I worked my ass off there. Their foyer was filthy and dusty and I had it sparkling. There was a fake plant covered in dust, and I cleaned every single leaf on it to make it shine. These are things that went unnoticed.
Of course, the worst part is that I am losing my patient who I came to love dearly and I don't understand why.
This has broken my heart. :-(
When I got home today, I got a call from my office. The woman said she hates when she has to make these phone calls, and she knew this one would totally shock me, which it did.
My patient's husband asked them to take me off the case and send a new caregiver. The reason he gave was that I was not keeping his wife active enough.
I'm in such a state of shock right now, because she and I did so much together every day!
I'd get there at noon and we'd take the dog for a long walk (in the heat of the day). Then we'd come back and I'd make her a nice lunch every day. Then we'd vacuum, dust, clean, do laundry and whatever else needed doing.
Then I'd put on my "Dancing with the Stars" cardio workout DVD, which took about 40 minutes to get through. Then we would take the dog out for another long walk (in even hotter heat). Then we'd come back, I'd feed the dog, fold the clothes and give my patient her supplement drink before my shift ended at 5:00 pm.
We also did yard work sometimes, cutting branches and stuff, planting flowers.
I've been wracking my brain all day trying to think how he could even think I wasn't keeping her active enough, unless he was questioning her. She doesn't remember things from one minute to the next, so maybe she didn't remember all we did all day.
I am just devastated and have been crying since I got the call. It's like having a black mark on my perfect record of caregiving and the worst thing is, it is so undeserved. I worked my ass off there. Their foyer was filthy and dusty and I had it sparkling. There was a fake plant covered in dust, and I cleaned every single leaf on it to make it shine. These are things that went unnoticed.
Of course, the worst part is that I am losing my patient who I came to love dearly and I don't understand why.
This has broken my heart. :-(
