In the world of nursing and healthcare, compassion is an invaluable human quality and an integral part of connecting with patients and enriching their lives. Compassion and genuine care are key traits that make the elderly feel cared for and prioritized in a system that is often struggling to keep up.
In the nursing profession, compassion fatigue is the label assigned to nurses who develop declining empathetic ability from repeated exposure to the suffering of others. High stress environments as well as the continuous giving of the self are also common culprits.
For Omotoyosi Ogedengbe, a nursing student working in a care home facility, compassion comes naturally. The trait was instilled in her from the beginning.
Born in Nigeria, Ogedengbe says that she was taught to care for elders in her family from an early age. When she cares for patients, she doesn’t think of them as strangers, but a spitting image of her parents and grandparents.
“It’s so sad that people bring their elderly family members to a facility and rarely visit them,” says Ogedengbe.
She goes on to say that while people have busy schedules and that immediate family and work can take up a lot of their time, everybody should at least take one day out of their entire month to visit their family members in care facilities.
“It’s always possible to make the time, and even if you live far away, you can plan a family trip.”
Digital communication methods have also made it possible for families across the globe to connect with each other in real time, but despite this fact, many elders in care facilities struggle with loneliness and lack of connection.
That brings Ogedengbe back to the topic of compassion and her sense of integrity and care when it comes to caring for the elderly. She says the smallest proactive steps to care for elders is a move in the right direction, and it’s all about reminding them about their relationships.
“You can give them pictures.”
Omotoyosi Ogedengbe says, “Sometimes you go into a patient’s room and there are no photos. Nothing. It’s just empty, and it’s sad.”
Oftentimes, elderly in care homes don’t have a particular and consistent caregiver. It often rotates, which makes it even harder to make long-lasting relationships with others. Photos go a long way because they serve to remind people about their loved ones and the happy memories they’ve had along the way.
Visual reminders also serve as cues for patients with memory loss. Showing relationships and meaningful moments are just the start. You can place photos in chronological order, use them as conversation starters and create fun activities like scrapbooking.
Omotoysi Ogedengbe is passionate about empowering the elderly, and it all starts with compassion. She emphasizes with every patient in care facilities because she sees in them wisdom, experience and people who are just looking for connection and belongingness.
While Ogedengbe is just beginning her nursing journey, she’s making a point to promote the essential qualities that drive nursing forward and improve quality care for all.
