Thursday Tidbits

Posted on August 8, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

Hands that care

 

Early this afternoon, I will be at a local nursing home as the guest speaker at a graduation for successful C.C.A. candidates. The Continuing Care Assistant certification is a requirement for individuals providing direct care and support services In Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness funded nursing homes, homes for the aged and home support agencies.

It is summertime and it is obvious that finding any speaker is a coup as most sought after speakers are hanging out at the beach sipping on a beer. All joking aside, I feel very honoured to spend some time with the graduates. Full disclosure- the grads took up a collection and paid me if I promised to keep my speech under five minutes! It has been so hot lately, that the last thing needed at a summer graduation is more hot air.

I am certainly no expert on the health care system but I have been a consumer all of my life and lately have been given a front row seat in a nursing home setting. My mother was a resident in this nursing home a year ago until she passed away. I got to see the day to day inner workings of a long term care facility. Further to this, I have been working part-time at the home providing music services.

While every component of the health care system is vital, today I want to pay tribute to C.C.A’s. This in no way diminishes the role of everyone else.

Flat out, their work is hard. It is not glamourous work. In many ways it goes unnoticed and in the eyes of many, it is undervalued.

C.C.A.’s are the people who are closest to the people they serve, the residents. They are often the eyes and ears for those who sometimes are unaware of their surroundings.

In my experience, I have found C.C.A.’s kind and generous and many of them have a great sense of humour.

The ultimate honour is to spend time with a resident and their families when the resident is in their final hours. Nothing is so precious and sacred. I have watched C.C.A.s perform their duties at this difficult time with professionalism, grace and dignity when residents and families need it the most.

I salute the newest C.C.A. graduates and say thank you to all the hard working men and women who look after our loved ones. Simply put, they are terrific people.

Speaking of caring, the response for financial aid for Simone MacDonald is quite something. There are three or four initiatives going on to provide financial resources for Simone and her family as she faces a long rehabilitation. Many of you have already donated but I certainly don’t want anyone to feel left out! In a few weeks’ time, I will be walking around the Cabot Trail and I will be dedicating the walk to Simone. I will also continue to raise money for her. So far, you have contributed over $2,000 to my “trek around the trail”. If you would like to make a donation, you can send me an e-transfer at lenpdmacdonald@gmail.com or send me a cheque at 8-9B Court Street, Antigonish, N.S. B2G 1Z7

One last thing. I have finished writing my Camino book and it is in the final editing stages. I have yet to decide whether or not to do a launch but regardless, the book will be available in the next few weeks. You can get them locally at the 5 to $1.00 store or track me down. For those of you out of town, and my Camino friends from around the world, it will be available on Amazon.

The book contains interviews of fellow walkers from Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, USA, Canada, Great Britain, Argentina, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Costa Rica, and South Korea. Some of the stories are quite remarkable.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. In preparation for the Cabot Trail, I am doing two, long, back-to-back walks on Friday and Saturday, 68K in total.