Michelle (Social Worker): The participants that I see here constantly tell me how happy they are to be here. One participant even invited me to go to church with her. I have worked with many participants who have warmed my heart in unexpected ways; one participant with cerebral palsy cannot physically speak to me, but when I talk to her she will smile in response. Through her smile I can see that she recognizes what I am saying to her. Another participant with dementia sees me regularly and while she cannot remember many things, she has learned my name. If I say the first part of my name, she will be able to finish it and recognize who I am.
Joy (Social Worker): It’s difficult for me to pinpoint one particular incident because so many heartwarming experiences have happened between me and the participants I work with. One participant always tries invites me to dinner and says that his wife would love for me to come. I have had many participants tell me that I am an angel on earth and express to me how much I have helped them.
Tom (Social Worker): A participant once told me that I was a blessing, and it really made my day. Once I was meeting with a participant and a funny thing happened – the participant walked in and when I asked him how he was doing, he immediately told me the sole of his shoe fell off!
Diane (Nurse): One thing that made me really happy was when I brought a participant out into the main room during music time and she was singing along and knew every word. She had been here for a while and it seemed like she was very comfortable and happy to be here. I’ve had a few participants come up to me and tell me that I’m their favorite staff member and it really makes me feel appreciated. One of our participants is particularly funny and always tells us that she’s going to ‘shed a tear’ when she goes to the restroom because she feels that it’s more ladylike.
Millie (Program Aide): One 90 year old participant with dementia showed up in regular clothes on Halloween. She ended up in a bathing suit with an umbrella and said that she was from the musical Singing In The Rain. Another participant that came to our center often insisted that he was working for us and that he never got paid a cent for his work.
Rick (Program Aide): One participant that I have known for a while approached me one day and said, “Hey, I saw you on the news!” I asked him what channel he saw me on and he said, “On every channel, they’re looking for you! You’ve been missing for three days!” It’s kind of become an ongoing joke between us. If someone is on the news that’s being searched for or wanted for something, this participant always tells me that he keeps seeing me on television.
Inna (President): I was on a walk with some participants and one of the women started putting on lipstick and fixing her hair and said, “We are single ladies, and you never know who you will run into!”
Anna (Social Worker): We made Valentine’s cards during February and it was a very moving experience. In the Memory Room (Dementia Care) we have some participants who are very affected by their disease. I was working with some dementia patients, but they both really grasped the concept that they were making Valentine’s for the troops and truly enjoyed making them. It brought back a piece of their youth that they really cherished. The social skills group made Valentines, as well, and one of the participants actually gave me a card. People here really want to connect. One of the men who was very affected by dementia made some especially moving Valentines and knew exactly who he was making them for. It was wonderful to watch the participants make Valentine’s Day cards for their family members, and some of them even made Valentine’s cards for bus drivers and other employees at the center.
A few other funny stories:
A group of Memory Care patients at Oxnard Family Circle were watching The King and I. One of the nurses came in and asked what movie they were watching, and the supervising nurse couldn’t remember the name of the movie at the time. The participants with dementia indignantly answered, “The King and I!” as thought it would be a crime to not know.
One particular participant was difficult at home, so the family brought her in to Oxnard Family Circle. She used to be a nurse, and upon arriving at Oxnard Family Circle her life changed drastically. After years of working as a nurse, she took note of our medical environment and was certain she was back at work. She insisted she would come in on time and dressed in her scrubs for work the next day.
At Oxnard Family Circle, we add a new breath of life to caregiving. Caregiving can be stressful and aging can be scary, but our staff and participants are proof that adult day health care can be a wonderful, uplifting, and even funny experience for everyone involved. At Oxnard Family Circle ADHC, our staff and participants are equally important and equally cared for. And, over time, our staff and participants can regard each other as family.
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