At 1 o'clock in the morning, the mobile phone alarm rang, Lu Fanlong hurriedly got up, came to the old man's room, put on a nasal cannula for him to inhale oxygen, and then sat on the edge of the bed to observe the old man's breathing. As a live-in caregiver, this is Lu Fanlong's daily work.
Entering the industry at the age of 29, in the past 17 years, Lu Fanlong has taken care of 20 disabled elderly people, and is on call 24 hours a day during work. "Taking care of the elderly is a work of conscience", he once accompanied three old people to the end of their lives, and after each goodbye, he had to rest for a while, "find a place where no one is, and cry." ”
On the eve of May Day, a reporter from the main station interviewed Lu Fanlong to see the story behind the profession of live-in caregiver.
01
The decency that the elderly should have is indispensable
Companionship requires patience, carefulness, and filial piety
This year, 46-year-old Lu Fanlong, from Liaocheng, Shandong, works as a live-in caregiver in a government company in Fengtai District, Beijing, and everyone calls him "Little Master Lu".
In the past 17 years, this 1.9-meter-tall Shandong man has taken care of 20 disabled elderly people in Liaocheng, Jinan, Beijing and other places in Shandong.
Now, Lu Fanlong is taking care of an elderly man in need of long-term dialysis in Beijing's Tongzhou District, taking care of his three meals a day and household chores.
△ Lu Fanlong took the old man to the hospital for dialysis
"When you get old, you are like a child, and you have to be amused by him all the time. During the stay, I always observed the state of the old man, and when the old man rested at night, I set an alarm clock to get up, listen to his breathing rate, and see if he needed oxygen. ”
△ Lu Fanlong installed a call bell at the head of the old man's bed, so that the old man could find him at any time.
"Nursing is not as simple as cooking a meal for the elderly and putting them in the toilet. "Lu Fanlong has received a lot of nursing skills training and skills exams. From turning over the paralyzed elderly, handling the urine and urine of the elderly with intestinal obstruction, to paying attention to the water temperature of the foot washing water for the elderly with diabetes, and customizing recipes for the elderly with poor stomach, these are all his professional skills. He can also get started with repairing water pipes, changing light bulbs, etc. "When you enter the house, you have to take care of everything. ”
"Aside from professional knowledge, we must have enough patience, love and filial piety to treat the elderly, especially the disabled, and take care of them without impatience. Whether at home or going out, you have to keep them clean and tidy, and they should have the decency. ”
Before becoming a nurse, Lu Fanlong studied cooking for two years and developed good cooking skills, which also added an advantage for him to apply for a nursing job. At the age of 29, he received his first job as a live-in caregiver in his hometown of Liaocheng. The elderly person who was being cared for unfortunately suffered a car accident, eating and drinking Lazar in bed, Lu Fanlong recalled, "I took care of her as my grandmother for five years." ”
△ During the stay, Lu Fanlong cooked for the elderly.
Why did you choose to be a nurse? Lu Fanlong said that his mother was his "enlightenment teacher", and he also liked to deal with the elderly, and he would rush to the front when anyone needed help.
"For as long as I can remember, my grandmother was sick and bedridden, and my mother was busy taking care of her until she died. I was particularly impressed by my mother's figure in those years, and I was determined to find a job taking care of the elderly when I grew up, like my mother. ”
"I was the first person in our village to take up a career as a male caregiver. When I first started working, many neighbors in the village often said to me, 'It's not good for a big man to do something, he has to serve feces and urine to others, and he is not ashamed'. ”
In the face of these prejudices, Lu Fanlong smiled, "There is no shame in supporting yourself and your family with your hands!"
02
"Taking care of the elderly is a work of conscience"
At the old man's funeral, his identity was "nephew"
In 2012, in order to learn more professional nursing knowledge and a better life, Lv Fanlong came to Beijing from Liaocheng and successively provided live-in care services and hospice care services for 8 disabled elderly people.
During this period, the time spent with Uncle Wang made Lu Fanlong the most unforgettable. Uncle Wang suffers from severe intestinal obstruction, can't take care of himself, and doesn't like to talk to people on weekdays, and the uncle's children are not in good health, and their energy to take care of their father is limited, so they found Lu Fanlong through a housekeeping company.
△ Lu Fanlong pushed Uncle Wang for a walk in the park
Uncle Wang's diet needs to be paid special attention, and Lu Fanlong will change his tricks to try to make the old man eat comfortably. Sometimes the old man plays with the child's temper and does not want to eat, so he coaxes: "If you don't eat, I won't eat either, and when you want to go out for a walk, I don't have the strength to hold you." ”
Because the old man was seriously ill and usually had a hard time defecating, Lu Fanlong wore gloves to help the old man defecate. When the old man was happy, he laughed with the old man, and when the old man was sad, he was sad with him. With the company of "Little Master Lu", Uncle Wang's mood gradually brightened, and he would laugh with Lu Fanlong from time to time, and he had to let him sit beside him before he was willing to use chopsticks every time he ate.
After a long time, Uncle Wang and Lu Fanlong became a family, on New Year's vacation, Lu Fanlong went home to visit relatives, just got on the train back home, the old man's daughter called, "Father asked when you will come back, he misses you, wants to eat your cooking, wants to listen to you talk to him." ”
In May 2023, Uncle Wang's condition suddenly worsened and he had to be hospitalized. Lu Fanlong, who has experience as a hospitalized nurse, was by his side 24 hours a day on the last journey of the elderly's life. On May 28, Uncle Wang passed away in the hospital, and after Lu Fanlong notified the old man's family, he endured his grief and scrubbed his body for the last time.
Lu Fanlong attended Uncle Wang's memorial service, and before the ceremony began, the old man's son handed him a corsage with the words "nephew" written on it. According to the customs of his hometown in Shandong, Lu Fanlong faced Uncle Wang and kowtowed three times.
"Taking care of the elderly is a work of conscience, and only when you take care of it can you be sure. How heavy he is in your heart, you are how heavy you are in their hearts. ”
After sending the old man away, Lu Fanlong ended the employment relationship with Uncle Wang's family, but the feelings for each other continued. Uncle Wang's children repeatedly let him stay at home for a few more days until he found his next employer.
△ Uncle Wang's daughter and Lu Fanlong are like sisters and brothers
In the past 17 years, Lu Fanlong has accompanied 3 elderly people until the end of his life, and he is full of emotion when it comes to getting along with each of them.
"If you stay with the elderly for a long time, you will have feelings. Every time an old man dies, I will set aside time for myself to come out of it, and several times I will find a place where no one is there and cry. ”
03
"Everyone gets old one day
To be kind to the elderly is to be kind to yourself tomorrow"
If taking care of a newborn is the hope of life, then the last journey of guarding the elderly is to see the end of oneself.
"Everyone has a day when they are old, and to be kind to the elderly is to be kind to themselves tomorrow. ”
Lu Fanlong told the main station reporter that the average age of colleagues is 45 to 55 years old, and there are almost no young people around 30 years old. He hopes that everyone will pay more attention to and understand the profession of caregiver, and also hopes that more young people will join in to help the disabled elderly "have care for the elderly".
"Caring for the elderly should start and finish well, so that they can live with dignity and live happily every day", this is the principle that Lu Fanlong has always adhered to since he engaged in the profession of caregiver.
In the future, Lu Fanlong plans to stay in Beijing to improve his nursing skills, hoping to reach the age of 55.
Every worker is amazing, and any profession should be understood and respected. Ordinary posts, with extraordinary perseverance. May Day, salute every worker!
CCTV News specially planned for May Day to pay tribute to the most beautiful workers.
▌Source of this article: CCTV News WeChat public account