Daily rewards for a nurse's aid.

When I tell people that I am a nurse's aide and work in a large nursing home, their first reaction usually is, "How do you stand it?"

Nursing home residents are a special group. Most are elderly. Women outnumber men. But aB are individuals with individual needs, and require special care and supervision. A nurse's aide attends to the most intimate aspects of patient care, yet must always be mindful of a person's dignity, and must respect their privacy.

Most of my coworkers and I work well together as a team. Love and patience are important in dealing with the elderly. We rub soothing lotion into dry skin, soak arthritic feet, give whirlpool baths, and trim finger nails and toenails. A hairdresser and barber are on hand for those who desire their services. When everyone is washed and dressed, and freshly-made beds seem to blossom with gaily-colored afghans - it's a homey place, for all the nursing home's size.

We learn to say silent goodbyes. The little lady lying quietly in her rose-sprigged nightgown will not be there the next morning. One of my ladies is over 100 years old. She can be difficult to care for. I wonder if her hostility is due to frustration. She is confined to a wheelchair, and she ...