As a student nurse working at an adult daycare, I had many resourceful experiences in my practice. I learned how to provide specialized care and attention to older adults with different health needs (Hsu et al., 2019). Every day, I administered medication, gave first aid, collaborated with other healthcare professionals on the patient’s progress, and created patient care plans. I also assisted the patients in grooming, dressing, and eating. I experienced the challenge of dealing with multiple patients with unique needs and collaborating with their families, who sometimes did not visit their kin.
Benefits to Caregivers and Families
From my experience, adult daycare services are beneficial to the patients and their caregivers or families. Helping elderly patients is very rigorous and can often cause burnout and stress to caregivers. Adult health centers provide respite for caregivers where they can find time for themselves. Adult care providers allow family members to take a break from caregiving responsibilities and attend to their needs. Respite care centers provide support and education to families or caregivers on how to manage the condition of older adults and how they can cope with stress from their roles. Adult daycare services are cheaper than other adult care services, such as home healthcare or assisted living facilities.
Interaction Discount
My interaction with elderly patients was very beneficial in guiding how to deal with patients in my nursing practice. I learned that my communication with the patients was critical to quality care, patient satisfaction, and successful patient outcomes (Hsu et al., 2019). Spending most of the time with the patients establishes a therapeutic relationship with them and helps establish trust. Connecting with elderly adults helped me establish respect, dignity, empathy, and patience, which would later help me associate with patients.
Reference
Hsu, M. H. K., Ling, M. H., & Lui, T. L. (2019). Relationship between gerontological nursing education and attitude toward older people. Nurse Education Today, 74, 85–90. Web.