Old people home Kachtem, volunteerer Roselien Maddens

We did an interview Roselien Maddens. She works as a volunteer in the Sint-Vincentiusrusthuis in Kachtem.

The interview

Hello! Maybe you can present yourself?

So, I am Roselien Maddens. I help the people in the old peoples home. I visit them, I give them food, I talk to them and I sometimes go walking with them. For example, when I did not work yet, I often went to the home and then I went walking with a women. It was every time the same day at the same hour. People there have a certain sheme, the sheme has to be always the same. So when I found a job, I didn’t come that often anymore. When I came back to the women, she was a little bit confused that I hadn’t visit her those weeks.  So when I saw her again, the first thing she asked was to go walking with her. Now, I make sure, I don’t come at a fixed time. So it is always a surprise for her and she can’t be confused or sad anymore.

How did you come in contact with this job?

When I was a little girl, my parents went a lot to the home. When the older people saw me, the were very happy to see a young girl. They always gave me some candy or cookie and they wanted to dance with me.  I always liked it to go with my parents to the home. I grew up with the older people and I worked there during holidays when I was a student.

What are the most difficult parts of your job?

So first, I worked with just older people. Now, I work with demented people. That’s sometimes hard because, for example, there’s a women and she always shout that she wants to go to the toilet and when she comes back, she wants to go to the toilet again.
It’s also hard because, you know that the people there are going to die. You know them good and you have a personal band with them, so when they die, it’s not that nice.

When you go to a park or a restaurant with the dement people, there are a lot of people staring and looking like they aren’t people. Just because they are old and they are shouting and making some strange noise… That makes me angry.

There is also a big difference between the ages. It once happens that a women said that it was very ugly what I wore, that I was like a prostitute. Just because the clothes of young people and old people is different. You really have to stand some critical remarks sometimes, but I don’t care. It’s part of the job.

You say that you go sometimes to a restaurant or something, so are there some activities organised in the home?

Yes! There is always bingo on Friday. People always look forward to play this game. When it is christmas on Friday, they are sad that they can’t play bingo, so we play it then on an other day. We also go once in a year to the beach and then they can drink something special. For example a little bit of alcohol. Of course, it is more difficult for demented people to do some activities than for the other people.

The women are very happy when we put some make-up and we polish their nails.

Do you know some special stories about the people in the home?

Yes! It’s a love story. There was a women and her husband was also in the home. But suddenly, he died and she was lonely. Another men helped her trough the difficult period and after some months, they were in love. From that moment, they were a couple. It is a romantic story.

I also have a sad story. There is a women and she is 45 years old. She became ill and she was demented very early. Now she has to stay in the home. It is very sad because her husband had built a house and it was finished but she will never see it, because she is ill. She doesn’t eat, we have to give her food by a small tube. She even can’t speak, only some strange sounds.

Does the work change your way of thinking about death?

Yes it does. Now, I am not afraid of death. Maybe it is hard to say, but you know you are going to die, especially in the home. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, it is always hard to stand that you have to miss someone you love. The hardest thing is that a member of your family dies.

Do the people who work there permanent love your volunteering work?

Not that much. It makes them sad that the old people give more love to us than to them. But I think that it is because they have a really stressed job. They have to wash for example 50 people in one hour and they don’t have time to do everything slowly and talk to the people. The older people feel the stress and they are more calm with the volunteers.

Are there in fact a lot of volunteers in the home?

Yes, there are. I don’t know how much, but I know that if there weren’t volunteers, it would be very busy for the other people who works there every day.

Can every one come to the home and help there?

Yes, they can. If you go very often, you have to write your name in a book. Because if there happens something, for example, if someone falls, they know that you work there.

But you don’t have to follow lessons or something. It’s just, you have to be patient and you have to stand the pressure. Some people are afraid of older people, they think they have a bad smell. Especially little children. For me, this is no problem. I grew up with older people, I really love to work with them.

Do you get something in return?

Not at all. Sometimes we can have a meal in the home or we receive some presents. But the most important for me is that we got so much love from the people. They are grateful and I can learn a lot from them.

It seems like you really love this job?

Yes, I really do. I can’t imagine I work the whole day with a computer. I really need the social contact and I love to be with a lot of people. That’s also why I am a teacher, I know, there is a big difference, but I just love to work with people. It gives me such a good feeling to visit them and make them happy.

Thank you for the interview!