Dubai: Every day for the past seven years, Rahmatullah Haji Mohammad ensures that the patients in his ward are well-fed, have had their medicine and are surrounded with constant care and love - all the while knowing that it will soon be time for them to go.
Working in an old age home in Ajman, the Afghan nurse deals regularly with elderly patients, who just want to spend the last few years of their lives peacefully and comfortably.
He said: "Our patients are very fragile at this stage so they are taken care of completely, right from visits to the bathroom to medical checkups."
Without a free moment to spare, caregivers at the geriatric ward have their hands full and need to be on their toes and at the beck and call of every patient.
For Mohammad, the experience is hectic, but rewarding. He said: "In my time here, I have found friends and family. There are occasions when I would come late to work and find that my patients refused to eat without me; that is how close we are."
But close bonds and relationships between caregivers and patients often come at a steep cost. Mohammad said: "I personally knew six patients who passed away; one used to call me his son."
Losing someone is made worse when a caregiver does not have family close at hand, to provide the necessary support in dark times.
Without relatives in the UAE, Mohammad has found other ways to deal with his emotions: "I usually keep myself busy and try to be positive. I am blessed to have a job where I am able to serve my elders, as there is so much reward in it: I just focus on this aspect."
