Why do you want to pursue studies & career in eldercare?



As someone who enjoys learning and looks for knowledge out of every experience, working in elderly care appeals to me because of all the opportunities to expand my wisdom. Over the course of their lifetime, the elderly population has accumulated a lot of knowledge. In working with them, I can learn some outstanding life lessons and how to navigate problems. As a 20-year-old, I haven't seen nearly as much of the world as they have, and I am confident the lessons I will learn from working with them will improve my ability to handle obstacles that may arise in my life. Furthermore, as an only child, I am responsible for the well-being of my parents, and would like to provide the best care possible for them when they reach a certain age. By surrounding myself with older adults in my career, I believe I will be well equipped to care for my parents, and enhance their quality of life, as they age.

Additionally, working with older adults in care homes tends to be more long-term and will allow me to build rapport and bonds with my patients. In my cultural beliefs as a South Asian, I have always been reminded of the importance of respecting my elders. Receiving blessings from the elderly is held to the highest regard, and one is considered highly fortunate if they can care for the elderly. I was extremely close to my grandparents and always wanted to be able to care for them in any way I could as a child. However, I immigrated to Canada at a young age and could not maintain the consistent ability to care for them as I hoped to do. Because of this. I want to work with the elderly in my current community as a way of paying homage to the elders in my family and provide the care I would have provided my grandparents if I still lived in close proximity to them. The idea of building relationships and trust with clients, in general, was a large reason I wanted to pursue a career in nursing and from my limited experience, the elderly population enjoys building relationships with their caregivers. As senior members of our society they have been taking care of others for many years. Each member of society played an important role in creating the healthy, supportive community we live in today. I genuinely believe it would be a privilege to return that favour and be a part of taking care of the people that fought for my generation to live in the safe, free, and just society it is today.

 



If you have previous work or volunteer experience involving caring for others, talk about it here and what you learned from that experience. Include links if you have any.



In the summer of 2020, I worked in a long-term care centre in rural Alberta. During my first two weeks, over eighty percent of the residents were infected with the COVID-19 virus, so the atmosphere was unnaturally quiet for the facility. My tasks at the facility included assisting the residents with their ADLs, such as feeding, bathing, and doing morning/evening hygiene practices. Additionally, considering during this time the residents were all sequestered to their own rooms due to the increased risk of transmitting the virus to those who have not contracted it, each resident required more attention than regular, as they were unable to have the independence they had during normal circumstances. The effect this had on the mental health of the residents was evident. 

As the summer went on, restrictions slowly eased up, and the residents were allowed to resume their social activities again. They were allowed to interact with each other in the hallways, and recreational therapists began conducting small group activities. It was extremely refreshing to see the residents smile and be visibly more confident again. This experience taught me a lot about the importance of social interaction and autonomy in older adults. Being isolated in their own rooms and having no family/friend interaction (as visitors were not allowed in the facility) is difficult enough, but it is even more tough for a group of people that already feel a loss of independence with their ADLs. 

This experience taught me that it is important to understand the mental impacts loneliness can have on the elderly population. Thus, it has led me to focus on spending quality time with the residents and engage them in their activities as much as possible. Whenever possible, I would try to take my time with each resident, ask them questions about their past, and share some details of my own life. Aside from this, I would also help the residents come into contact with their family members through technology, like Zoom conferences. After completing my contract, and coming back to Calgary once the summer ended, I was informed that one of the residents I bonded with had passed away. I was contacted because the family wanted to thank myself and a few of my colleagues for making her last couple of months memorable and happy. 

Prior to this experience, I would have considered things like socializing to be of least priority, but seeing the difference in residents’ moods, and their self-esteem, when they were surrounded by people made me understand that enhancing quality of life is just as important as any physical aspect of care. This is something that I have carried forward in my university clinical rotations, and something I will carry throughout my future career as a nurse. 



Are you interested in doing your placement at Alexis Lodge?





What is one way you think the eldercare sector could be improved?



I believe the eldercare sector could be improved through an increased focus on the top three levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The theory behind Maslow’s Hierarchy is that there are five categories of needs that should be satisfied in patient care. The bottom two levels are physiological needs and safety needs, which are of primary focus when dealing with patients. The top three levels consist of belongingness (relationships, social interaction, etc.), self-esteem (self-worth, sense of respect, etc.), and finally self-actualization (sense of autonomy, independence, etc.). In eldercare, we are often focused on the physical aspects of care, and do not put much focus on these psychological needs. These psychological needs should be focused on more, as some older adults tend to experience a decline in mental health as they age. I believe if we focus on these psychological needs, we can, hopefully, prevent this mental health decline in most adults.

In terms of increasing a sense of belonging in adults, I believe hiring more recreational therapists in senior care homes would be beneficial. They can conduct team bonding activities between residents and allow for closer relationships to be formed with each other. I also believe in home care settings, where patients are living alone, caregivers can try to identify group activities happening in the community and assist them in reaching communal areas, to minimize feelings of isolation. Furthermore, therapy animals may also be used for feelings of comfort and can bring a sense of nurture for any older adults that feel isolated or alone. Spending time with therapy animals can also build feelings of intimacy and affection in these residents.

In regard to self-esteem in older adults, screening tools can be used in healthcare settings to monitor their mental health and then utilize interprofessional collaboration to improve their feelings of self-worth if they report low self-esteem. Other small ways to improve their self-esteem, or prevent depletion of self-worth, would be through daily communication. Asking them questions about their life, or even asking for their advice on matters can help them regain a sense of control, as well as increase their confidence. Listening to the older adults talk about their life accomplishments can bring also bring about feelings of prestige and make them feel respected. It is also important to help them stay connected to friends and family, because showing them they have social support systems can combat loneliness, and therefore, feelings of low self-worth. 

Finally, in order to incorporate self-actualization in care plans, it is important to ensure growth in the older individual. This can be done by asking the residents to make daily, weekly, or monthly goals about their health and wellbeing. With the assistance of the caregiver, they can make progress towards achieving their (realistic) goals. As they make progress towards these goals, they are increasing their autonomy, and also playing a large role in maintaining their health. By seeing themselves achieve their goals, they can also see an increase in their confidence, which therefore assists in maintaining their self-esteem needs too.

As adults get older, they may feel a sense of shame about having to rely on caregivers for certain tasks that they have previously done independently. By maximizing their sense of autonomy, self-esteem, and mitigate loneliness, we can help them regain a feeling of control over their life again. This can create a positive environment and a healthy mindset for them to enjoy their elderly years in.