In the morning of September 18, 1988, while almost done with my household chores, I heard a loud heavy sound as if something fell on the floor inside our house. Sensing odd, I rushed up the stairway and found inside my father lying on supine position with his left leg under his right leg. He was fainting, gasping, and agonizing.

As I brought him up with his hands under my armpits, I found out
that he could no longer stand, heavy to lift up, in pain, and his left leg dangled. I then transferred him to the leatherette sofa, laid him there and observed his condition.

My father, Julian, who was then at age 89, was bed-bound since that accidental fall on the floor inside our house. During the incident, my sister Meredith had gone to work at a government bureau in our town. Meredith’s only son, Hanford, had also gone to a grade school early that morning while her husband was out of the country working in an overseas log ship.

My older brother, Telesforo, had long been dead on October 18, 1979 due to stroke. So do my mother, Juanita, died of similar reason on April 13, 1986.

It was believed that a sudden impact from the fall of body weight towards the center of gravity with the left leg under the right leg caused the dislocation of his left hip-joint. Here, the adverse effect of the fall started which left him in bed and unable to go back to his normal daily life activities. The patient was already noticed of having Alzheimer’s disease two years before the incident. His inability for weight bearing due to weakness, very common to elderly persons in a period of retirement and decline, was the factor for the accidental fall and left-hip dislocation.  

The house confinement of Julian deprived me of time: to make a plan for future marriage with a girl friend, to follow-up my job application as Male Secretary for Arab country, and to enjoy much freedom doing things for personal growth and development.

 I had been his caregiver for 5 years and 7 months. While in that span of time, I was under the supervision of his personal doctor, Henry, who visited him for regular physical check-up. Doctor Henry checked on my administration of medicines and other medical interventions to my father. At that time also, I learned from the physical therapists about personal care, more knowledge on medical interventions, range of motion (ROM) exercises, moving of the patient in bed, making of bed, transfer of patient from bed to wheel chair/ chair with arm rests, body massage, care for bed sore, sponge bath, and hot pack to affected part.

Those medical concerns for the patient learned from the doctor and physical therapists had given me knowledge in this occupational field.  They had become a learning experience as well. Though on my personal side, the span of time had become very exhausting. Eventually, there were attacks of  gastritis at mid night or at dawn time that I could even think the patient could die.  I felt nervous and traumatized as nobody else was awake. I felt I was alone.  I could hardly recall how many times I cried. It was a very sad and lowest condition in my life.

There were separate occasions that I cried out for help. My sister who had enjoyed a good sleep upstairs in her room came down for help. But most of the time I managed to do it all on my own. I had done a conventional procedure by pressing with three fingers the solar plexus below the sternum, and apply it with pressure enough for the abdominal gas to move down to the large intestines until the patient belched. When I saw my father got relieved of abdominal pain, I also felt much relief from the tension.  According to the physical therapists, the patient suffered from abdominal distention due to inability to burp.

With the first-hand knowledge in care giving, my family sent me to study 6-month caregiver course at a Caregiver School in our town,  just months after the death of Julian at the age of 95 on April 18, 2004. With honor for Academic Excellence, I am proud to tell about my experience with my father, the formal care giving training, and my profession as a caregiver.

Presently, I am looking for the best opportunity to work as caregiver in a foreign land.