Pretty on the Outside Ugly on the Inside
Irma D. Felton
7 May 2011
ENG 105 English Composition
John Lowery
Pretty on the Outside Ugly on the Inside I have worked many jobs in my lifetime but my most satisfying position was as an aide at Natchez Nursing Home. (I changed the name to protect the privacy of the facility.) I wanted to observe this place not as a former employee but as an individual who was searching for an establishment to place a loved one. I truly believed in this facility. There were rumors floating about concerning the care the home was providing the residents. They contradicted my beliefs and this assignment has given me an opportunity to either dispel the rumors or continue to believe and vouch for the care Natchez Nursing Home provides. As I approached the facility I noticed the grounds were immaculate. The flowers are in full bloom and you can smell that the grass has been freshly cut. You can hear wind chimes gently chiming in the breeze. There are six rocking chairs on the porch, all of them are empty. The porch was painted green and white with baskets of flowers hanging from the ceiling. I was really impressed. When I opened the door to the facility my nose was immediately assaulted with overpowering scent of antiseptic and pine sol. There were two offices on the left with closed doors and straight ahead was the nurses’ station. I counted sixteen elderly people in wheelchairs circled around the room and pushed up against the wall. They seemed so lost and forgotten. The only conversation I could hear was between two nurses discussing shift change. The residents did not interact with the nurses or one another. They all appeared to be in their own little world. Three nurse’s aides entered the room. They did not acknowledge me or the residents. I could hear their shoes slapping against the tile floor and the swishing sound of stockings as their legs rubbed together. I began circling the room and noticed five hallways extending from the
7 May 2011
ENG 105 English Composition
John Lowery
Pretty on the Outside Ugly on the Inside I have worked many jobs in my lifetime but my most satisfying position was as an aide at Natchez Nursing Home. (I changed the name to protect the privacy of the facility.) I wanted to observe this place not as a former employee but as an individual who was searching for an establishment to place a loved one. I truly believed in this facility. There were rumors floating about concerning the care the home was providing the residents. They contradicted my beliefs and this assignment has given me an opportunity to either dispel the rumors or continue to believe and vouch for the care Natchez Nursing Home provides. As I approached the facility I noticed the grounds were immaculate. The flowers are in full bloom and you can smell that the grass has been freshly cut. You can hear wind chimes gently chiming in the breeze. There are six rocking chairs on the porch, all of them are empty. The porch was painted green and white with baskets of flowers hanging from the ceiling. I was really impressed. When I opened the door to the facility my nose was immediately assaulted with overpowering scent of antiseptic and pine sol. There were two offices on the left with closed doors and straight ahead was the nurses’ station. I counted sixteen elderly people in wheelchairs circled around the room and pushed up against the wall. They seemed so lost and forgotten. The only conversation I could hear was between two nurses discussing shift change. The residents did not interact with the nurses or one another. They all appeared to be in their own little world. Three nurse’s aides entered the room. They did not acknowledge me or the residents. I could hear their shoes slapping against the tile floor and the swishing sound of stockings as their legs rubbed together. I began circling the room and noticed five hallways extending from the