I am so sick of people putting down state workers.
I have worked in a hospital, two nursing homes, including the county home and group homes for people with disabilities.
In most of these homes, except the hospital, you work short staffed. At the nursing homes, try taking care of 45 residents with one charge nurse and two aides.
At the County Home, you don't have just little old ladies that aren't able to take care of themselves at home anymore. There are people in comas, quadraplegics, people with Alzheimer's who wander or may hurt you, people with HIV, people with bacterial infections.
Or how about the sweet little old lady that had her leg amputated that climbs out of bed and falls because she doesn't remember she has only one leg.
At the group homes, some have 12 people that are total care.
Feed, clothe, bathe, clean feces off of them and the walls, soaking wet beds or those full of diarrhea. Also you deal with bacterial or other communicable diseases.
These are lovable sweet people who I loved taking care of. There are those with violent behavior problems.
Many care givers are injured taking care of these unfortunate people. Some care givers I know of have torn rotation cuffs more than once, get beaten because they were doing their jobs caring for these residents.
Hospital care is the best because you have backup. You have orderlies to help lift and can be there if you have problems with disorderly patients which does happen occasionally. Also there is immediate care for a patient who suddenly goes downhill.
We are hard-working people who do jobs no one wants to do. Sure we get benefits. Do you want to do the jobs I have described? I think not.
Jean M. Kulpa, LPN retired, is a Dunkirk resident.
