This morning after breakfast at the nursing home for elderly and disabled folks, I was helping Svetlana, one of the nurses, with washing up and hygiene for some of the bed-ridden men. We were helping the men with showering and shaving. I was busy shaving one of the guys when I heard behind me an unfamiliar shuffling sound. I looked up and was astonished to see one of the guys who I had never seen take a step away from his bed actually walking to the shower room. We usually use a wheelchair to move the guys from their beds to the shower room. But here, Svetlana had Gregia standing up, and she was standing, facing him, holding his hands, and she was walking backwards as he shuffled forward across the room. It almost looked like they were dancing. I was truly amazed, in a happy way. It seemed almost miraculous — anyway, beyond my wildest dreams. But it was a bittersweet kind of joy, because, during the two weeks I’ve been working with these guys on a daily basis I had never seen Gregia take a step before. He typically spends all day flat on his back in bed with one blanket wrapped around his feet and another blanket pulled up over his head. He’s blind, so there’s nothing for him to look at, so I guess he figures he may as well have a blanket over his head, where it will keep him warmest. For someone who lives such an isolated and monotonous life, he is amazingly cheerful. At every meal he sits up the edge of his bed and eats everything that is offered to him. He often greets me in German, “Guten Tach”, because he knows I don’t speak Ukrainian. Then he chuckles cheerfully, I guess because he knows he doesn’t speak German very well either. And he always thanks me gratefully for everything I do to help him out. It’s just a pity that this nursing home doesn’t have resources to staff physical and occupational therapists to help these elderly folks live more comfortable and interesting lives.
Dear reader, if you are inspired to help and happen to have some skill or experience relating to physical therapy or geriatric care, please feel free to visit our “Community” page for more information about how how you might get involved.