Certified Care Workers are just amazing!
“Do Certified Care Workers really think about things to this extent?”
When I first started working at a day rehabilitation center, I was surprised time and time again.
To be honest, at that time, I did not fully understand the job of a Certified Care Worker.
Assisting with meals.
Assisting with bathing.
Assisting with excretion.
A professional who supports daily life.
Of course, that alone is a wonderful job.
But, after working together, I realized something.
Certified Care Workers do not just support “daily life.”
They were looking at the “person.”
One Certified Care Worker, while driving the shuttle vehicle, kept up a conversation with a user with severe needs through the rearview mirror.
Just a slight glance.
A subtle facial expression.
They read their intentions from just that, and a conversation was established with a smile.
I thought to myself.
“How can they understand that?”
A user who refuses to bathe due to dementia.
I find myself thinking, “How should I persuade them?”
But that Certified Care Worker was different.
They changed the subject naturally as if nothing had happened,
and before I knew it, the user was heading to the bathroom with a smile.
It was like watching a stage performance.
Acting skills.
The ability to read the room.
The ability to choose the right words.
All of that led to the peace of mind of a single user.
When it comes to recreation, they are a different person again.
A staff member who is usually quiet livens up the room as if a switch has been flipped.
Singing.
Dancing.
Making people laugh.
When the user laughs, they laugh genuinely too.
Do they really go this far?
They were trying to bring out as many smiles as possible, to the point where I thought that.
I also cannot forget the sight of a small staff member, about 145 centimeters tall, driving a large HiAce lift vehicle to pick up and drop off users.
They don't just drive.
Inside the vehicle, they watch the users' expressions,
saying, "You seem a little low on energy today."
They don't miss even such small changes.
A resident with dementia repeats the same story every day.
Yet, they never show a hint of annoyance.
"And then, what happened next?"
"I see, so that's what happened."
With a touch of humor, they listen as if hearing it for the very first time.
Then, in the middle of a conversation,
"Something is a little different today."
A care worker felt that way.
"Are you in pain somewhere?"
"Are you constipated?"
That small sense of unease led to a medical examination, and the result was a COVID-19 infection.
On another day.
During transport,
"Something feels different today."
They felt that way and recommended a medical checkup, which revealed it was indeed a cerebral infarction.
There was also a resident who refused rehabilitation.
They did not force them to do exercises.
They played their favorite music,
started a game,
and before they knew it, the resident was stretching their arms, moving their shoulders, and using their body.
The person themselves thinks they are just playing.
But in reality, it was effectively serving as rehabilitation.
I realized something.
Certified Care Workers are not just providing "care".
They support people's daily lives,
they move people's hearts,
they notice changes in people,
and they support them in living life in their own way.
That is the kind of professional they are.
I thought I understood what a Certified Care Worker was.
But in truth, I didn't understand anything at all.
The greatness of the profession of Certified Care Worker is not written in textbooks.
Their expertise is packed into the casual interactions of every day.
That is why I respect Certified Care Workers.
Because they are professionals who continue to stay close to the lives of the people they serve.
I found myself saying "Amazing!" and "So cool!" almost every day, haha.
Because they really are amazing!
I became more and more of a fan of Certified Care Workers!
WAKUWAKU
Today, too,
Enjoy. Be free. And choose.