Philip Y. Kao PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

a new disposable pair of briefs. I untied her shoes loosely, and slipped them on her feet. I
helped her up, and with my latex gloves still on, I had her stand up grasping the bar, and
wiped her bottom three times with three separate disposable anti-bacterial wipes. After
bringing the wheelchair next to the toilet, and engaging the breaks, I pulled her briefs
and pants up and lowered her onto the wheelchair. As a finishing touch, I combed her
hair and offered her her glasses. Before we left the room, I took off my latex gloves and
threw them away in the wastebasket right beside the door. Marcy wanted to be
positioned strategically in front of the dining room where all three sections merged. She
told me that from this position, she could wait for breakfast and keep an eye on things.
An episode occurred involving Marcy and her two neighbours on the fourth floor. Julia
lived in between Marcy and Bridgette. Julia had difficulty with mobility, but she still had
upper body strength and did not require that much assistance. She wanted only female
caregivers, however, in her room. Gretchen, one of the fulltime caregivers, was assigned
to her section and told us that Julia was a “one-person assist” and that, “I really just help
her with her showers; I make sure she doesn’t slip and fall.” Bridgette was another early
riser, and even though she preferred using her wheelchair to move about, she could
stand up for few minutes at a time. She wanted female caregivers to help her with her
showers, and did not need any help going to the toilet. Whenever I was assigned to
Bridgette’s section, she just wanted me to make her bed. When I first encountered
Bridgette, she called to me from her wheelchair in the common area. I came up to her
and asked if I could be of any assistance. She said, “Did you make my bed today?” I said,
“Why? Yes.” She then made me follow her to her room, and pulled off her top comforter,
exposing a corner I did not tuck in as tightly as could have. Bridgette told me about how
she was a nurse, and that before she could work on bodies she had to learn how to make
a bed properly. I apologised and made her bed correctly in front of her. She thanked me
and pointed to a chair of stuffed animals and a couple of dolls. She said, “You can display
them however you want, but I’d like them on the bed after you make it everyday.”
Bridgette wanted her bed made neatly and perfectly. We turned this into a game of sorts;
she would ask me if I made her bed and if so, did I do it well. I responded by saying of
course, and she would give me a pat on the hand and even offered me chocolate
sometimes from her pocket as a reward.
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