Ups and downs as an Alzheimer's and dementia care nurse
Earning a healthcare job comes with pressure, rewards and a built-in family too
By Lindsay MacKenzie, Communications Specialist
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Published Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Circular walking paths, massage chairs and an activity centre full of brain exercises are just a few of the latest evidence-based strategies the Alzheimer's Centre for Excellence at Riverview Health Centre uses to care for patients with advanced dementia.
“Having a path that continues means residents never really run into a dead end,” explained Amber Meilleur, clinical resource nurse with ACE at Riverview. Designed to be as secure as it is comfortable, the environment looks like one big oval shape from above.
A nurse who has always had a passion to work with seniors, she believes to ensure a healthy quality of life for patients means to think about how we’d like to be treated ourselves.
“First off, we let them sleep in. That’s a big one,” said Meilleur.
“You know, we wouldn’t appreciate it if we were woken up. So we very much let them lead how their day is going to go.”
Personalized care means that, “if they want to sleep till 10 and they want to eat breakfast at 10:30 after they’re washed and dressed, that’s completely fine,” according to Meilleur.
“We can save a tray and we can reheat it.”
While Meilleur cautioned that nursing responsibilities can be challenging at times, providing care to an aging population with Alzheimer's is an ideal environment to develop psychosocial skills.
“You have to read the atmosphere, read the environment and read the residents,” she said. It’s a skill that is useful for many areas of life — personally and professionally — it only gets better the longer nurses work in this setting, affirmed Meilleur.
Someone who agrees with Meilleur is Lesia Yasinski, Nursing Professional Lead at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority who explains that nurses are drawn to work with older adults because of the personal connection developed over time.
"These are often people with diverse life experience and you get to share in that," said Yasinski.
"You see them daily and they become like family, it is not episodic care but a long-term relationship over the continuum of the life."
Often a realistic account of the challenges and rewards that nurses face are not easily observed by people curious about the career. The past two years under pandemic conditions have made plain the challenges ahead for a deeply overwhelmed healthcare system. Recruitment and retention efforts have been similarly affected, limping along with difficulty across the world.
“The news lately doesn’t make nursing look very great,” Meilleur acknowledged who has remained a nurse for almost 17 years.
“When I wanted to become a nurse, it was exciting and I feel like it’s really hard to convince people now.”
Meilleur had an older cousin she looked up to and when it came time to plan her own career, she knew she wanted to have a rewarding job where she could make a difference.
“Of course, we have our ups and downs, but we are a strong, united front,” said Meilleur.
Bonds between the members of an interdisciplinary care team are sort of like having a workplace family, describes Meilleur. Where skills that are acquired on the job can’t be experienced anywhere else.
“There is no black and white with dementia care… you’re constantly thinking of different ways [to connect with patients] because something that worked yesterday might not necessarily work today or four, five days from now."
Probably the biggest pressure felt by Meilleur is striving to provide the best possible care, especially when a resident might not be receptive.
“You don’t want to disappoint your staff that you work with and you don’t want to disappoint the families,” she said.
For stressful moments, supportive managers and colleagues is part of the self-care plan. Teams get very good at talking about their feelings and constructive feedback is met with open ears.
“I absolutely love working here, the support and camaraderie, I’ve never thought of going anywhere else for my nursing career," explained Meilleur.
According to the Canadian Medical Association, the health system must be reimagined to respond to the needs of patients aging in society. Manitoba expects the senior population to increase within the next five years by another 15 per cent. Healthcare jobs certainly are reliable and hiring benefits include intrinsic values such as meaning and purpose.
"Nurses want individualized placements that compliment their strengths and passions," said Yasinski who is also responsible for nursing recruitment programs at the WRHA.
"When nurses specifically ask where they want to work, right now we do not have too much difficulty finding a placement that suits their interests."
Being realistic about challenges that lie ahead when choosing to become a nurse is a pragmatic mindset, but it helps knowing you share this experience with others who carry and support you along the way.
“You put one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, together, and you are stronger because of it," said Meilleur.
More information on how to become a nurse or obtain additional training to upgrade your health care skills, contact [email protected] or visit professionals.wrha.mb.ca/nursing/recruitment/
