I fell in love…
I am not sure when it happened. But I fell in love with Personal Support Workers. I fell in love with the workers and with the work that they do.
Perhaps it was the stories.
“After bathing her, I got her into the clean bed, then I sat, held her hand and she slept.”
Perhaps it was their love for and commitment to the work.
“There are lots of people who could never do what I do, but I couldn’t picture doing anything else” (Susan Brewer)
Perhaps it was the laughter and tears. Laughter shared with patients, with families, with themselves.
“People say this work must be depressing. But my clients, sometimes we laugh. Oh we laugh! And sometimes we cry.”
Laughter we shared in class.
“When I came to class I thought it would be “dead and boring…”
As a nurse with the palliative response team, and later working with people in long term care, I witnessed the work, and the gratitude expressed by patients and families. I realized that these support workers are often the eyes, ears, hands, and heart of the health care team. In many situations, they are the reason people are able to die at home and in their facility.
Whatever it was, I fell in love.
Thank you for the work that you do!
Kath
