At the end of the day...

Today one of my residents had declared that she is at her end. I find it difficult to really process it until I absolutely have to, and have a chance to be alone and be myself. While at work, I'm forced to find the balance between being sympathetic and being professional, and at these moments it is easier to simply block it completely. Of course, being around the family of these people I've grown to care so much about, creates further difficulty in that I'm not sure what they expect from me. I had a chance to say goodbye to Rosemary and tell her how much she means to me, which is good, but being around her daughters is harder because I want to comfort them, but as a professional in this business, I have to keep my composure, but I'm wondering if that makes me seem cold. There's no easy solution to this dilemma. I offer my help and company, and that is really all I can do. I go on about my day, without telling my other residents what is going on, and then wondering who will be offended that I did not tell them, if Rosemary passes on during the night and they didn't get the chance to say goodbye. I guess, I will wait and see.