Three Long Nights

Many of you know that I have taken a job working with the elderly at an Assisted Living place called the Homestead here in Rexburg, but I always get the question, "So, what is it that you do?" Well, I'm here to tell you...

There are many different shifts offered at the Homestead. I happen to work the weekend night shift - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7pm to 7am. I chose this shift for a few different reasons. First and foremost, I love to play! Working the weekend shift enables me to have Monday thru Friday to play. Second, I came to the realization that because I like to play so much that I have a really hard time settling for an 8am to 5pm job. Working intermittedly until 5pm in the Health Science Department at BYU-Idaho for five years while attending school and then working at Anasazi where I get 6 full days off didn't help me too much in regulating my play time. With having such open and flexible working schedules for the last six years I find it really hard to have the desire to work the 8am to 5pm, Monday thru Friday schedule that most people in this world have conformed to. My shift has its pros and its cons.

There are three buildings at the Homestead. The Homestead to recently finished the third building, which sits behind the other buildings. When I first began working at the Homestead I was in Building 2. Then when my shift started I moved to Building 1 - the Alzhiemer's unit; the only building that is always on lock-down. While working in Building 2 I met a girl who at the same time as me switched to the weekend night shift. We discovered that we are opposites in our likes when it comes to the duties we are required to complete while working. She hates to cook, but loves to clean. I would rather cook than clean any day! So we made a deal that I would do the cooking for both buildings and she would clean both buildings. It has worked out wonderful!

When I arrive at work at 7pm my first main duties include helping the previous shift finish up their evening duties, which include: cleaning up dinner, doing the dishes, and putting the residents to bed. On a really good day all these things are done before I arrive - those are wonderful days! On most days though I mostly help finish putting the residents to bed before I begin my shift duties.

When the residence who need to be put to bed are all tucked in and things start to slow down and settle for the night I begin multi-tasking between giving the residents their nightly medication, gathering and organizing the ingredients for the different recipes, and starting to cook. Throughout these activities, of course, are tending to any of the needs the residents may have at any given moment. But usually my full attention is on cooking between 9 to 10pm.

Everything I make is made from scratch, which I don't agree with 100% of the time, but nonetheless do anyway. The amount of cooking varies from night to night depending on what is on the menu to make. The majority of the time there is a meat dish of some sort that takes a long time to make, some sort of veggie or fruit salad, and a dessert or two. The number of items to cook have ranged from 3-8 and have taken from 2-6 hours of cooking time to make. On average I am done cooking around midnight or 1am. Cooking so many items has really taught me and refined my skills in cooking as well as in multi-tasking as I am working on a couple recipes at the same time. I must say one thing though - these residents eat like KINGS!

Once I am done cooking or 2am rolls around (which ever one comes first) I switch with my buddy from the other building so she can clean my building. This is when my down time begins. While she is in my building cleaning I am relaxing as I read, work on homework/work, etc., or sleep. Usually the latter, even though I am not really supposed to (which is another thing I don't fully agree with), but sometimes can't help falling asleep!

Upon returning to my building I either finish up cooking if I didn't get it done beforehand, or continue to rest or work on things as I wait until 4:30am rolls arounds. That is when I begin getting residents up for the day. (I hope to never get up that early!). I enjoy getting the residents up in the morning because they can be pretty entertaining and the time goes by really quickly.

After working 12-hours I come home and crash. I usually am pretty anxious to change into my warm pajamas and snuggle up with my blankets and very quickly drift off to sleep until anywhere between 11:30am to 1:00pm depending on how long my body will allow me to sleep as well as how quiet my roommates are around the house. After sleeping I am left with what seems like just a few hours before having to go back to work. I definitely get things done and play during the weekend, but I feel like I am working and sleeping the majority of my weekends.

I have been working here for about two months now and am already beginning to feel my body growing weary of these long weekend shifts. It takes just about the time to get my body clock readjusted when it's time to go back to work for the weekend. My friend who does this same type of work - who also does the night shift - told me it takes about a month for the body to adjust to the night work schedule. I think I'm still waiting for the end of that month mark to come.....

Each night is different because you never know what to expect with the different residents, esp. those who have alzhiemer's and are in a different world. One resident in particular often believes she is on a mission or visiting teaching. She also stays up all night on occassion getting into all sorts of mischief. Or you have those male residents who aren't afraid to extend some affection towards you, most of which can be inappropriate if not careful. It's always a new experience and a fun mental game with these residents!

The most rewarding things of this job are making the residence laugh and seeing them happy through the little things, seeing their eyes light up when I walk in the door, or hearing them say, "I like you." I have come a long way since making the initial phone call to work here. I have overcome my fear of being around and interacting with the elderly and have truly come to love each one for their own unique personalities.