Being in the ear of an Activities Assistant

Yes, I said ear. :) Now that I am an activities assistant I get to hang out with residents so much more than when I was receptionist. Along with that comes even more hilarious stories.

Part of our job includes MDS's (Medical Data Sheets). Within 5 to 7 days of a resident entering our facility we must get basic information from them that will help us better serve them, hence the MDS. Last Friday night I kept trying to get the information from a certain resident but she wasn't available the couple of times I stopped by. Finally I caught her as she was going to bed and the nurse said it would be okay for me to chat with her for a while before she went to sleep. That being said, she had just finished a VERY busy day and was extremely tired so I assured her my questions would be quick. We were flowing through them quite smoothly until we came to the section on daily routine. Upon being asked if she attends church, synagogue, or temple she informed me that she use to but no longer does. The following question is a strange one that is hard to ask of some residents, but I need the information, so I asked her if she finds strength in the faith that she does have. Upon that question she burst into tears, telling me that she just doesn't know with everything going on. As I let her express herself I prayed that God would just bring peace into her life. After she had calmed herself down, we continued on with the questions. The very next question was if the resident has animal companions, which I always phrase "do you have pets at home?" Upon hearing this she gave me the strangest look and said, "Darling, I have nobody at home to have sex with." It still cracks me up to go over that scene in my mind. I quickly said "PETS...DO YOU HAVE PETS AT HOME?" in a much clearer voice. She then laughed, reminded me that she was very tired, and said she did have pets at home. The rest of the questions went by swiftly and with no complications. Afterward, I told her to have a good night and rest well. As I left her room, her roommate laughingly said, "So nobody to have sex with?" and I closed the door on a burst of laughter from both ladies. I was glad that I was able to make her smile before leaving her for the night.

Hence the joys of my job. I might complain about the drive and hours, but there are times that I wouldn't trade my job for the world.