Making people laugh is the greatest feeling!The title says it all - I love making people smile and laugh!
One of my clients is "blissfully demented," meaning she is perfectly content sitting in her chair, not interacting with others, her eyes closed and listening to everything going on around her. She normally doesn't make noises other than little grunts and groans, but today I heard her chuckling at the conversation going on around her. And not a soft chuckle either, it was a deep, hearty chuckle. The other therapists and I were joking with one of the clients about his flirtatious nature and apparently my client found our jokes to be comical. She let us know with a deep chuckle. It caught me off guard and I snapped my head up to look at her, only to be further surprised to find a real, gentle smile on her face! Now, my client is a gorgeous woman, and as she sits quietly in her chair, she looks austere yet dignified. But when she smiled, it was amiable and motherly, and you could literally feel the warmth radiating from it. It reminded me that her true self is still there behind the dementia. I feel that a lot of healthcare professionals, myself included, forget that dementia patients are more than just a body, they still have their personalities intact. I had been working with my client for 2 weeks, but this was the first time I had experienced a true "response" to what was happening in her environment. It was refreshing, and honestly gave me that "pep in my step" to finish out the rest of my day. I am so grateful to have had this experience because it will be something I can draw from in the future when I feel discouraged for not getting a response from a client. I need to remember that it takes time to build a relationship with people, especially with a therapist who is often times associated with discomfort and strenuous work. Going forward I need to remember to not expect it to happen in the first go-around because people are complex and require time to build trust and rapport. But when you do establish that relationship, just like this instance with my client, it is worth all of the toiling. Until next time! -Lauryn E. Hill, MOTS
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AuthorI am an occupational therapy student at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate competence in my graduate-level program through journal reflections pertaining to one of the four main competency areas. Through practice, I hope to become consistent at journaling so that I can help my future clients to the best of my professional ability. Archives
August 2017
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