My dad just had to enter a rehab last week after a medical crisis and despite him being a genuinely unpleasant person most of the time, he's got a couple of CNAs who have been able to draw him out. He even said to me at a visit two days ago, "She's really very good. REALLY good." about one of them, which is practically the highest praise available. I don't think I've ever heard something similar about myself from him in my life.
So what I'm saying is, it's heroic work and I hope you find it endlessly fulfilling. Congrats! (And on the publication, too!)
listen I have a real Pollyanna complex so the idea of winning over a grumpy curmudgeon to become his best self due to my delightful personality is very appealing. the thing is you've got to figure out how to make your character defects work for you!! i'm putting my narcissism to good use!!
Oh I'm so excited for the Women's Hotel sequel and for Meeting New People as well!
I have a job where I need to be in close-toed shoes on my feet all day and me and my colleagues swear by kuru sneakers. I find Hokas to be what the kids are calling "cheugy" due to their massive clown footprint and Millennial aura (sorry Hokas fans, I am sure they look awesome on you but they look super odd on my little stick legs). Kurus have the same support without the huge clown shoe footprint. You just have to ignore the fact that kuru is a type of prion disease you get from cannibalizing human brains, and it's all fine.
Congratulations, Danny! When I was in the NICU with my baby, I noticed that the nurses who weren’t wearing Crocs wore Skechers, often the Skechers “work” range. I should think those must be the two most comfortable options on the market.
I also took note of the nurses’ shoes when my baby was in the NICU! In my case, it was HOKA’s. I got two pairs, one for indoors and one for outdoors, and they’re all I wear now.
Congrats on the new book and the job! I’ve done a similar job here in Australia and it’s really rewarding. I always enjoyed working with people with dementia as it’s a great area where a bit of kindness and compassion goes a long way.
My favourite tip for people with dementia is just tell them a little bit of the story at a time. The thought of a shower can be overwhelming. But if you help them to sit on the toilet, then help them take off a wet nightie and wrap them in a warm towel, then offer some warm water… it goes a lot more smoothly.
Perhaps look into home care - usually a bit more time to spend with people, not as rushed as residential care?
Shoes wise hmmm, perhaps waterproof sneakers from Merrell or similar, if you are doing lots of showering?
I'm a nurse working with older adults and it has its challenges but man do I genuinely love hearing stories about their lives! Winning over the curmudgeons is my favorite thing in life. Personally I recommend Hokas or Sketchers, but the real game changer is compression socks. I like Sockwell, but any place is good; you want medium graduated compression that goes all the way up to the knee. Congrats on the new job!
So excited for you, Daniel! I hope you’ll write about your adventures as a CNA. We need more people writing about carework! (And if you haven’t read it already, I bet you’d adore Nina Stibbe’s comic novel PARADISE LODGE, about a young careworker in an old folks’ home in the 80s).
Congrats! I hit up the fibromyalgia and chronic pain subreddits for shoe recommendations and they tend towards Hokas and Brooks. My current shoes are Brooks Caldera 6 and they are by far the best sneakers I've ever had for minimizing my lower joint pain. Also compression socks and elevating your feet after work - I used to lay on the floor and put my feet up on the couch, which would put you in prime dog and baby space
Congrats on the job and the books! I can't wait to read them both. If you need your nonslip shoes to also have good arch support, I've found Kuru Footwear to be really great!
Congrats, Danny! CNAs are very important and deserved to be paid more (as do nurses in general). My brother went back to school for nursing in his 30s and is currently an RN at a hospital in Anaheim. He always has stories!
I'm a nurse, and I quite like my Cloves. I will say, part of this is because they are waterproof, and I don't want to get any bodily fluids on my socks. It's not a concern most of the time, but when it is, I like that I don't have to worry about it. You can also wipe then down!
and it's got HEALTH INSURANCE BABY!!!
Oh indeed! Way to go again Danny! V excited for new book, expansion of Women’s Hotel universe, and new career path!
My dad just had to enter a rehab last week after a medical crisis and despite him being a genuinely unpleasant person most of the time, he's got a couple of CNAs who have been able to draw him out. He even said to me at a visit two days ago, "She's really very good. REALLY good." about one of them, which is practically the highest praise available. I don't think I've ever heard something similar about myself from him in my life.
So what I'm saying is, it's heroic work and I hope you find it endlessly fulfilling. Congrats! (And on the publication, too!)
listen I have a real Pollyanna complex so the idea of winning over a grumpy curmudgeon to become his best self due to my delightful personality is very appealing. the thing is you've got to figure out how to make your character defects work for you!! i'm putting my narcissism to good use!!
😂 Please feel free to use my father as inspiration. It'll be the best thing he ever did.
Oh I'm so excited for the Women's Hotel sequel and for Meeting New People as well!
I have a job where I need to be in close-toed shoes on my feet all day and me and my colleagues swear by kuru sneakers. I find Hokas to be what the kids are calling "cheugy" due to their massive clown footprint and Millennial aura (sorry Hokas fans, I am sure they look awesome on you but they look super odd on my little stick legs). Kurus have the same support without the huge clown shoe footprint. You just have to ignore the fact that kuru is a type of prion disease you get from cannibalizing human brains, and it's all fine.
So much good news in one post! People are crazy for Hokas and they come in excellent colors.
Congratulations, Danny! When I was in the NICU with my baby, I noticed that the nurses who weren’t wearing Crocs wore Skechers, often the Skechers “work” range. I should think those must be the two most comfortable options on the market.
I also took note of the nurses’ shoes when my baby was in the NICU! In my case, it was HOKA’s. I got two pairs, one for indoors and one for outdoors, and they’re all I wear now.
You’re the kind of CNA I’d look for! Congratulations on the book too!
Congrats on the new book and the job! I’ve done a similar job here in Australia and it’s really rewarding. I always enjoyed working with people with dementia as it’s a great area where a bit of kindness and compassion goes a long way.
My favourite tip for people with dementia is just tell them a little bit of the story at a time. The thought of a shower can be overwhelming. But if you help them to sit on the toilet, then help them take off a wet nightie and wrap them in a warm towel, then offer some warm water… it goes a lot more smoothly.
Perhaps look into home care - usually a bit more time to spend with people, not as rushed as residential care?
Shoes wise hmmm, perhaps waterproof sneakers from Merrell or similar, if you are doing lots of showering?
I'm a nurse working with older adults and it has its challenges but man do I genuinely love hearing stories about their lives! Winning over the curmudgeons is my favorite thing in life. Personally I recommend Hokas or Sketchers, but the real game changer is compression socks. I like Sockwell, but any place is good; you want medium graduated compression that goes all the way up to the knee. Congrats on the new job!
So excited for you, Daniel! I hope you’ll write about your adventures as a CNA. We need more people writing about carework! (And if you haven’t read it already, I bet you’d adore Nina Stibbe’s comic novel PARADISE LODGE, about a young careworker in an old folks’ home in the 80s).
Congrats! I hit up the fibromyalgia and chronic pain subreddits for shoe recommendations and they tend towards Hokas and Brooks. My current shoes are Brooks Caldera 6 and they are by far the best sneakers I've ever had for minimizing my lower joint pain. Also compression socks and elevating your feet after work - I used to lay on the floor and put my feet up on the couch, which would put you in prime dog and baby space
Congrats on the new job! It’s such important work and inspiring to see you take it on 🙏🏻
I used to do hospice work, and you are perfect for said CNA career! Bravo!
Pharmacist here, so definitely used to standing around all day. Very much endorse Kuru or Sketchers sneakers
Congrats on the job and the books! I can't wait to read them both. If you need your nonslip shoes to also have good arch support, I've found Kuru Footwear to be really great!
Congrats, Danny! CNAs are very important and deserved to be paid more (as do nurses in general). My brother went back to school for nursing in his 30s and is currently an RN at a hospital in Anaheim. He always has stories!
I'm a nurse, and I quite like my Cloves. I will say, part of this is because they are waterproof, and I don't want to get any bodily fluids on my socks. It's not a concern most of the time, but when it is, I like that I don't have to worry about it. You can also wipe then down!