Among the circle of staff waiting in ambush in the facility lobby, anticipation had long been building. So when the unsuspecting patient walked into view, the buzz exploded into a level of deafening applause usually reserved for a Taylor Swift Jumbotron appearance.
As the tumult reached its peak, she clapped her hand to her mouth, eyes wide in pure shock. “Oh my God, oh my goodness,” she said, over and over. Then, with the excitement finally sinking in, her tears began to flow.
I’d only learned this was happening a few minutes before, when the facility administrator asked, “Are you going to join us for the clap-out?”
At first, because I’m decidedly non-hip to contemporary nomenclature, I had no idea what that even meant. But he explained that a beloved resident was finally going home that morning, after a long and arduous journey to recovery, and her rehab and care staff would be honoring the victorious departure.
Hers was an unlikely, against-all-odds kind of achievement. She’d been admitted as a ventilator patient, unable to speak or walk, with little expectation of a positive outcome.
So as one of her rehab therapists described it, “When you see somebody walking out of here who couldn’t walk in, who is now able to eat and express herself, it’s really emotional.”
As the applause died down, and the patient’s tears had eased, she managed a few halting words straight from the heart. “Thank you, all of you, for my life,” she said.
Then, with a little curtsy, many hugs and an adorable “I’m out of here,” she headed for the door.
I’ve spent extensive time in long-term care settings over the past 25 years, but have never witnessed anything quite like what I saw that day.
It was so incredibly obvious that for the assembled staff, this wasn’t some rote exercise with a smattering of dutiful applause. This was whole-hearted, a genuine celebration of passion and triumph by those who helped get her to this moment.
For all of us who were privileged to be part of it, the experience cut through every challenge and distraction to the heart of why staff of every job description choose to work in long-term care. To be of service to people. To help make them healthier and happier. To get them back home, whenever possible. To bring meaning to their lives, whenever not.
And to experience the pure joy of hearing someone say, “Thank you, for my life.”
From the April/May 2024 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
