Cut it in Half

This week I was challenged with a writing exercise: to examine a blog post I recently published and cut its length in half. Throughout the month I have been working to improve different aspects of writing, and here I am tasked with writing succinctly. 

I recently took some time to reflect on some of the advantages of working in the direct care industry, and cut it from 984 words originally to 494 for the exercise. 

Here is the cut-in-half version:

Not every aspect of working in the direct-care industry is wonderful. Health services roles require staff members to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with holidays included – often times you have to sacrifice some things. The pay is negligible, and helping people with hygiene care presents many challenges that I’ll leave to the imagination.  

While there are many difficult aspects of the job, they are heavily outweighed by how rewarding helping people improve themselves can be. After previously eclipsing one year in the industry, I reflected on my experiences and identified what I view as the core advantages of working in direct-care:

Disciplines patience

Working in a group home is hard. One crucial truth to accept is that every individual functions a little (see: a lot) differently. It takes time and diligent effort from staff members to get to know each resident and what makes them tick. Some residents will bond with you when you walk in the door, but frequently residents tend to be hesitant in forming relationships because it’s exhausting to have to reintroduce yourself and everything about you, knowing you have to do it all again soon with someone new.

The work itself can also be frustrating – residents have bad days just like everyone else. People who need support come from all different walks of life, and working in a group home is great practice for developing social skills like patience, understanding, and how to carry yourself tactfully.

Develop strong relationships

As hard as working in a direct-care role can be, there are many opportunities to have fun on the job. Much of the job is hanging out with the residents, developing trusting relationships, and working to improve social skills by being active in the community. Through spending time and engaging in fun activities with residents, a bond is formed and they will begin to become a substantial part of your life. Working with members of a group home community also provides you with opportunities every single day to help people make good life choices, learn new skills, provide emotional support, and overall work towards developing independence for each person – and often a life-long friendship remains. 

Renews your general appreciation for life

There’s a universal deep sense of fulfillment that comes from working with people with disabilities. It can be really challenging work, but often while I’m at work I find my perspective or worldview challenged after going through a certain experience. It helps you appreciate your current life and the things you have that you may have previously taken for granted.

There is a significant need for people who are willing to embody what it takes to work with people with disabilities. It certainly isn’t a role for everyone, but if there are people who aspire to work alongside people with big, awesome personalities and even bigger dreams, I recommend taking a look at becoming a health services worker – you will be welcomed in with open arms. 

As a result of this exercise, it’s clear that I frequently use more words than necessary to drive home any given point. I’ve been breaking the habits I formed writing academically and am starting to grasp the importance of staying focused on the topic when writing. I’m motivated by this exercise to keep increasing my comfort level when it comes to writing and will keep working on it as I keep at it!