Cat fight

So this whole GC business is all over e web now n I decided to click the links to check it out. After a min or two of reading thru, I started yawning. Then I closed down e link. Seriously, if reading abt cat fights from self centered individuals appeal to u, then this one's for u. I believe the rest of us haf more important things to do then wasting time finding out abt this saga. The blogosphere is simply too saturated. Bloggers are every where. Alright, good night, sleep tight!

Merry merry xmas

Merry Xmas everyone! Hope yr Xmas eve n Xmas were wonderful! Mine was pretty good, despite myself feeling slightly feverish at 37.6 degrees with lower back aches as usual. We had a Xmas eve gathering at sis's place with each of us bringing food for e potluck. I cooked salmon, yf prepared sushi, Yn cooked spaghetti that was slightly soggy, AT brought chicken n ham, YP bought rainbow cake n the most shocking of all, Breadman bought 2 melons for $89! Those are jap melons FYI, with the trademark "T" stalk. Needless to say, all of us were excited over this extravagant purchase! Haha. Anyway, mom then cut one up for us to taste. Mind u, this melon is really juicy! It is really sweet too! But I will never ever in my life spend so much money on a fruit. Thanks ah, Breadman, for letting us haf a chance to taste this premium quality fruit! Eh, next time, when I ask u to get fruits, dun be so atas can? Get normal ones from giant n NTUC can? Hahaha. So after the meal, all of us then proceed to play the card game saboteur. That's really a mindreading n strategy game! So far it is still hard for me to deduce who's who. I guess i need more practice then! Merry Xmas once again, everyone !

Tooth Decay

Ever since the dentist told me that I have a tooth decay n that I would require a tooth filling, I was utterly devastated! My 25 year streak of having good teeth is gone! Anyway, dentist has advised me to start flossing. I have always avoided doing that because it makes my gum bleed. Anyway, 4 days haf passed n I am proud to announce that I have been diligently flossing my teeth after every meal, like finally, haha. I m also trying out this ayurvedic therapy of doing oil pulling, in which I hold oil in my mouth for 15 mins, while swishing them around. It serves to improve oral health n helps to heal cavity. Hopefully it works! Keeping my fingers crossed!

My 8th Month in the Social Service Sector

Today's 1 Dec 14 and it marks my 8th month working in a nursing home, as a social worker. I joined on 1 April 14, on April Fools' Day, hence my joining date will always be memorable to me because I thought it was a joke from the company when they asked me to start work on that day! Probably you may wonder, what my job entails. I must admit I was offended when I heard the phrase " why do u need a degree to work as a social worker? Anyone can do it." I believe my profession ought to be respected n recognized and I m glad to learn that the MSF n MOHH are going to come up with a Social Workers' Framework by early 2015. This framework is gonna be really useful for mid career switchers as well as existing social service professionals who wanna switch between the different sectors e.g from a hospital to a nursing home etc. I m also heartened to learn that more n more youngsters are joining this field n for the right reason of course. Most want to give back to society by contributing their services.

Anyway, to cut the long story short, I love my job! We are probably one of the few organizations which has meetings about festive events celebrations like Xmas, CNY etc. We always have to plan for activities for the residents. Our upcoming celebration will be on 19 Dec, Xmas Celebration n this week all of us are busy with the preparation, deco n stuff. As each department has to enter the Xmas lantern making contest, all of us are tied up with this craft making business. Ours is special because we use all recycled materials! Plus our residents were involved in it. So I hope to win the top prize! Shall distribute the prize money with the residents if we win! Back to my job scope, so far I have done case assessments, whereby I will need to head down to the hospital/nursing home that applicant is currently in, to assess if he is suitable for nursing home placement or not. Then I will follow up with the family for admission n financial counseling. If all's well, applicant will b admitted. I have also helped my residents to apply for financial help, like IDAPE and Eldershield n MFEC n the recent PIONEER DAS and CHAS card. On top of that, I also did means testing n medifund applications. That aside, I also conduct activities for residents, such as art sessions and karaoke sessions. I bring them for haircuts as well. The downside of my job is to deal with the passing of residents. Often, we attend their funerals as a mode of respect n we try not to get too emotionally affected. Anyway, I am proud to say that I m 1/1000000000 of a nursing student! Haha. After reading the referrals for nursing home placement, especially the medical background section, gradually u will become equipped with some form of medical knowledge. I have learnt lots of medical acronyms as well! Try figuring what these acronyms mean: LOC, SOB, ROM. I learnt that mardopar is a medication for Parkinsonism. Dulcolax is a medicine for constipation. Aspiration is when water or food gets into the lungs. Pneumothorax occurs when the air is trapped in the lungs. This medical knowledge shall continue to expand as I get exposed to people of different medical conditions. So far, I have dealt with OCD patients, psychiatric patients n anxiety disorder patients. Suddenly my Abnormal Psychology knowledge becomes useful. It is as though whatever u have read on the book is truly reflected in front of your eyes. It is so cool, yet challenging at the same time.

I have had downs in this job as well, family members scolding u, whether face to face or on the phone, inability to conduct my activities due to a lack of time. Once u stop being consistent, the residents do not feel that we treat them seriously, then they might be half hearted abt continuing with the activities. When they say they do not feel like continuing, I felt a little sad. Is it because I didn't manage my time well enough such that I have to sacrifice their activity time so that I can work on the other paperwork? My department is still in the midst of hiring new staff. So let me know if u are keen to work as a social worker. A degree in psychology/social work will suffice.  Anyway have u figured the acronyms? They are: Loss of Consciousness, Shortness of Breath and Range of Motion. Ok hand me a medical report n I will decode it for u. Hahaha. Too haolian.

To end off my post, I m appreciative of my work, my boss n colleagues n my special residents who make work less boring. Whenever I m drained from work, I just head to the rooms to do my rounds, n to talk to any resident I spotted along the way. Today I just held a resident's hand as I led her to our office to admire the lantern she was involved in making. The joy on her face when she sees it: priceless. Thanks for giving me a second lease of life, I will strive to make the lives of others different.