My reflection

My reflection

Description

My reflection is about Mrs A, an 83 year old catholic born in Waitorara. She is a retiree who spent most of her time as a singer. She also worked as a bank teller at one point. She had a stroke and Alzheimers that made her unable to tend to herself. This made her general practitioner to refer her to Howick Baptist Hospital for admission, examination, and treatment. At the hospital, it was indeed confirmed that she had Alzheimers, Depression and Hypertension. After the passing on of her husband, she could no longer be attended from her home. She was taken to the hospital and had to stay there. Over time, she got accustomed to the place and felt comfortable. She could at times sing for the hospital staff. She finally had confidence in the doctors that she could reveal her private information and the doctors kept it confidential. Despite her condition and long stay in the hospital, 3 years down the line, she still feels loved by those around her.

Feelings

I have been distressed by such an experience. It is not easy to see somebody struggle with a disease over such a long period yet still have the strength to smile and keep moving. However, it gave me hope since we are all living today but we do not know what will happen to us tomorrow. Mrs A had enjoyed all along in her life devoid of allergies, neither did she smoke, but her late life suddenly changed. In a way, it prepared me for life in my elderly years. I was also compelled to believe that we should live for the moment we are in, for we do not know about tomorrow.

Evaluation

The condition that Mrs A was in really kept me thinking. However, I am excited that finally with the help of the doctors, her hope of living longer was ignited. That is why at some point she could even sing for the doctors in order to make them happy. In a way, I hope this one helped her to forget about all the worries of her sickness and give her hope of living even better than before. I have learnt that in this profession, you have to regard the patient as your closest relative and treat them with utmost regard.

Analysis

For those in the healthcare industry, we must be ready to go through such situations. Mrs A is just an example of the numerous cases of patients that we handle. It is unfortunate that some cases, just like hers, last over a long period of time. On the other hand, we have patients with acute diseases that are treatable within a short period of time and the patient is discharged. Tending to the same patient on a daily basis for three years is not an easy task. It requires patience and a human heart. Our role in this industry is to identify and minimize the risk to patients and clients hence saving lives.

Conclusion

Looking back on this story, I have learnt that old age comes with lots of medical related issues. Maybe then, it is prudent that we have routine medical checks as early enough in our lives so that we avoid such bad endings in old age. After retirement, Mrs A could have spent her happy life together with her family. This did not happen due to the sickness

Action Plan

In the course of my career, I intend to offer voluntary advice to our society on general ways of life that will not lead to Mrs A’s situation. That way, we will avoid cases like hers in our hospitals. It will as well be a move to ensure that the old get time to be with their families after retirement.