Career change at 40 leads to long-term care
Wednesday, September 14, 2005 -- Natalie Miller
Collins Ferguson went from managing a stock room in the high-tech world to supporting residents’ personal needs in long-term care.

He hasn’t been happier. Collins made a career change at 40 and took training to become a personal support worker. He has been employed at Almonte Country Haven since August 2003.

“I originally set out to take nursing,” says Collins.

“Life circumstances take you down different roads.”

When he decided to leave his job at Alcatel, he approached Almonte’s former director of care, Pam Murphy, about gaining experience at the long-term care home to see if he wanted to enter this area of nursing. He attended CDI College in Ottawa for a year.

“It turned out be a lifesaver for me on a spiritual level,” says Collins. He found the position to be less stressful and he enjoyed the interaction with people. “It’s something I do quite easily is working with people.” Collins says there are many rewards to his new line of work. “The look of appreciation on people’s faces keeps me doing what I’m doing.”

“There’s a difference between working for people and working for a dollar. It feels like you contribute a lot more when you’re working on a one-to-one basis.”

Six months ago, Collins issued a walking challenge to residents aimed at getting them energized about staying fit and easing aches, pains and anxiety. Enthusiasm remained throughout the six months and the home’s 82 residents walked 500 miles collectively over that time period. Any structured walks inside or outside the long-term care home counted and staff, volunteers and residents added up the miles by yard. Trails were measured by a pace stick and miles logged and kept in a binder.

“Residents have been so excited about the completion of the 500 miles that my calculator battery ran out adding up the last month’s yards. We exceeded our goal despite the month of 30 C heat in June and a respiratory outbreak in April because of a real strong effort. Some of the residents in fact had to be monitored because they were a little over enthusiastic during the hot spell. A real accomplishment when miles are added up one yard at a time.”

The 500-mile club was a way to keep residents focused and excited, says Collins. This was effective for residents who have dementia because they were all working towards a common purpose. Collins says his biggest challenge on the job is communication and interaction with residents who are in different stages of dementia. “They’re very unpredictable,” he says.

Collins is already planning his next activity for residents, sleigh rides, a potential for this winter if the money can be raised.

When asked what he personally wants to bring to long-term care, Collins says “joy, laughter and fun. There’s no point in coming to die. It’s just another stage, aspect of life.”