NURSING HOME I opened the front door and slowly let myself in. The sweet smell of morning followed me as I searched for Rose. (Rose is the woman in charge and works with people who volunteer.) The walls were beautifully designed and painted. My heart started racing as I searched to find Rose. I slowly opened a white door that said "LOUNGE". Rose's familiar voice soothed my soon to be heart attack. She greeted me with a smile and told me that I would be polishing nails. I couldn't believe that I had to polish someone's nails. I had never, in my life polished someone's else's nails before. I've only done my own, which I wouldn't brag about my technique. Not one word was said to Rose about my misgivings. She handed me a baby wipe box with nailpolish, cotton balls and nailpolish remover. She told me to meet her on the second floor and to start asking people if they wanted their nails done. I smiled and proceeded in search for the elevator. The elevator doors opened to the second floor and all these curious eyes were looking at me. I wanted to run back into the elevator and go home, but I just stood there and smiled. My eyes slowly panned the room looking at all the new faces. All the women soon lost interest in me and went back to what they had been doing before I arrived. They sat in chairs and wheel chairs and almost became maniquins frozen in time. I moved to one table and proceeded to ask if anyone wanted their nails done. As the words came out of my mouth, I felt as if I had thrown an "on" switch which gave them life. One by one the ladies let me polish their nails. My own nail polish was coming off, but I didn't mind. I carefully held their hands, as I did so I felt their old skin touch my youthful skin. A calmness came over each woman as I polished their nails. I had many women fall asleep and as they slept I transformed their tired fingers and brought color to their lives even if it was only nailpolish that I was using. I started to wonder how old some of the patients were? How did they get here? while I was doing there nails. The women acted as if they where in a salon and made me, feel as if I knew what I was doing. I found out thru Rose that many of the patients are at least senior citizens. There is one lady who is 98 years old. She also told me many of them came from the hospital or no one could take care of them because they needed extra care. After making my rounds I began to help the nurses get lunch ready. I filled cups with water and placed them on everyone's tray with a straw. I watched as the nurses served the patients. My time was soon up and my nail job was put to rest. Every week was something new and different. The following week I was greeted by the smokers of the nursing home. Their cigarettes hanging from their mouths as they looked at me with their frozen eyes. I quickly took my jacket off and went to the second floor. Rose was giving out the morning newspaper when I came up. She greeted me with a smile and told me that she had some good news for me. Rose told me that the head nurse had some time this morning to teach me how to feed patients. My eyes felt as if they would pop out of their sockets. I just smiled and said "Great!". I knew that feeding patients was not an easy task. My nephew gave me problems when I fed him, which I quickly found out was a treat compared to the patients I encountered. The nurse carefully explained what precautions I needed to take while feeding and showed me how to do the Heimlich maneuver. The nurse explained to me that the patients varied from each floor. The third floor was for the patients who had mental problems. The second floor housed the patients who were blind, deaf, or both. Many are in wheel chairs or can't walk very well. The first floor has patients that are very sick. She told me they keep the patients there so that if they get even sicker, they can easily rush them to the hospital. That same day when luch time came I had my first feeding. I was so nervous, but I tried to act as if I was feeding my nephew. Rose told me that the woman was a "good eater" and shouldn't give me any problems. To this day I felt that was all a joke. The woman I was feeding was name Ms.Williams. Ms. Williams didn't speak, so I had to communicate with her by touch. She not only continuously moved in her seat, but she would fall a sleep during her feeding. I had to constantly wake her up to try to feed her. I have found that patience is the key to a good feeding. It took about a good 20 to 30 minutes trying to feed her. Ms. Williams spilled her tea all over her tray; I learned too late that she liked to touch things. The day was almost over and I was exhausted. The next week I knew the routine and was used to the smokers greeting me in the morning. What I wasn't ready for, however, was to be alone for the day. Rose, I found out had the day off, so I would be doing things on my own. I went to the second floor and asked the nurses if they needed any help. They told me that they needed me to walk around and talk to the patients. I talked to one lady named Virgina Copper who had lost her eye sight, but had the most terrific stories. She told me about her children and grandchildren. I asked her how long she had been in the nursing home? She told me that she has been in the nursing home for 3 years. I asked if the nurses were nice to her? She told me that they were. I also visited a lady named Elizabeth who had the most homey looking room. She had pictures of her family all over her room. The pictures were of her children, grandchildren and past weddings she had attended. Elizabeth also had her own telephone, a sitting chair with a crocheted blanket laying across the top of the chair. She also had her own television set in her room. I was quite fascinated with how she had transformed this cold nursing home room into something so warm and cozy. It was 11:00am and it was time for lunch. I was given a patient and was sent to her room to feed her. She was a small lady in a wheelchair with a small white flower in her hair. I sat down and started to talk to her when I noticed that she didn't talk. She wouldn't even look at me. I put some food on a spoon and slowly put it near her lips. She opened her mouth and started to eat. I started talking to her even though I knew she wouldn't answer me back. I asked her if the food was any good? I didn't give her a chance to answer, when I said "Nah". What I didn't know was that she understood me. All of a sudden she started to laugh at me, which I had never seen her do while I had been there. That made my day, that I could make one person happy even if it was just for one minute. It took me a long time to feed her. Longer than Ms. Williams, but I tried to think of it as if this was my mother and how I, would want someone to take the time out with her. After I finished feeding her, I was given another lady to feed. This lady was more aware of her surroundings and only needed me to feed her because she couldn't use her hands very well. She ate very slowly, but she didn't fight me to open her mouth. It was a long day, but I noticed that I could be just fine if Rose wasn't around. When I first thought of doing community service at the nursing home I didn't expect I would do anything that I have done. I honestly thought that I would give water out and sit and talk to the patients. My views started to change as I continued to come every week. I learned that I had more patience than I thought I had. I especially learned this when I started feeding the patients. My view on nurses changed drastically with my experience at the Nursing Home. I didn't know that nurses did so much. I honestly think after seeing what nurses do, that they should get paid more. They have very important jobs that are not always recognized. I noticed that the patients are really nice people nice people if you give them a chance. They sometimes look scary to the outsiders eyes, but if you really look beyond that they are like everyone else, just a little older. I'm more open to helping them and touching the patients more than I was before. When I first started I didn't want to touch them at all. I was scared of them. But going to the nursing home improved my social skills. I'm a little more open to people. I now can go up to people and have a conversation with out feeling shy or embarrassed. I think everyone should at least have one experience with working in a nursing home. I know it has shown me to appreciate life more. The finest things in life we take so lightly, the patients would treasure. A simple walk or a breath of natures air, the patience would think they were the luckiest person on earth. Many of the patients can't walk because they are in wheel chairs or they can't stand for long periods of time. Some patients are on oxegen tanks because they can't breathe on their own. I know that every time I walk out of the nursing home I thank my lucky stars that I'm capable of doing all the things they wish they still could do. The next time you do the simplest thing like take a walk think of how lucky you are that you can do so and be grateful.