Densho Digital Repository - Yoshiye Handa Yasuda Interview (Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-485-18)

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[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

VY: Okay, so you did have a couple of other jobs later.

YY: A couple of what?

VY: You did have some other jobs later, occupational therapy jobs?

YY: Uh-huh. What about it?

VY: Like in Seattle? In Seattle, I think you had a couple of different kinds of jobs.

YY: When we came back... oh, that was before children. I worked at the University Hospital in the psychiatric wards. They had a closed ward and an open ward, and I was there for about three years before I had children.

VY: You did a lot of work with psychiatric patients.

YY: What?

VY: You did a lot of work with psychiatric patients, right?

YY: I'm sorry, I didn't get that.

VY: That's okay. I'm just wondering, the kind of work that you did seems like it might be difficult to do for long periods of time.

YY: You mean with psychiatric patients?

VY: Yes.

YY: It really isn't. Some problems might be just repetitive, but mostly you want to get them out of this, being just within himself, and you want them to be able to relate to others. And so it was mainly activities, various activities. Or somebody might have, maybe she used to knit a lot and she wants to do something, and at least she's doing something, you can help them that way.

VY: I see.

YY: But it's mainly keeping schedules, being responsible, things like that.

VY: I see, kind of routine.

YY: If they're doing something that's inappropriate, you try to help them to come back. It depends on each person, it's different things you need.

VY: Okay. And then later in your career, it sounds like you started working with older people.

YY: Uh-huh. And after, I guess that was my last group of people that I worked with, was with the geriatric patients.

VY: Where did you work?

YY: Hmm?

VY: Where? What places did you work?

YY: In Seattle. I went to all of them. There was one for the Swedish, in that area, and then here in Terrace View was right here near Rainier Avenue. Then Keiro, and the Catholic one, St. Vincent. So there were many of them, and each one was different.

VY: Okay.