Skip to main content

Why I became a caregiver? By: Beverly Hughes

By
Why I became a caregiver?
By: Beverly Hughes

Being a caregiver has been my passion in life. I started giving care when I was just 12 years old. That was a good 19 years ago, but it feels like it was just the other day.
Back then, I would typically spend nights and weekend at my best friend’s house. Her mom had live-in clients. My thinking then could be explained in two short sentences: Wow, I can't wait for Friday. And then, TGIF, I get to spend the weekends staying up late, watching movies and having limited or no rules. While all this seemed to be the life, it wasn't until one night when I heard a little old lady praying and thanking God just how thankful she was to have a caregiver.
Some time went on and I didn't think much of it. Until one day, that same little old lady took my hand and said "dear someday this will be your mom". From that day on, I provided care in any way I could, to anybody in need. Brushing dentures and washing urinated clothes didn't seem all that bad to a now 13 year old. The caregiver pay would buy me the necessities in life I needed, more like wanted, as my single mom could not afford much. The new shoes and clothes I got, for brushing those dentures and washing those clothes, suddenly felt as if I did not deserve them. I came to believe that providing care to another beating heart was, and is, a reward all in itself. My Friday nights turned into old war stories and what the 1940's were about. Now that I look back, time spent with those folks was the highlight of my teenage years. Knowing was being spent bringing about a real difference in the life of an elderly indeed made up all the difference in my life.

Today, I am a single mom, and if there is anything I can ever give to change one life at a time, I have realized that it could be simply my time. What I have found in TLC Home Care Services is only blood doesn't make you family. There isn't a drop to be found, but there is family in every corner over here. When I am asked why I chose to stay up all night, clean butts and sweep floors, my response is still the same. I simply state, I have passion, and time, that some folks need. Being a caregiver is not a job, it's a choice, and it's my choice that I will make again and again. It is my love, my career, and my passion. The amount of appreciation a caregiver receives is not to be found behind a counter. There is no better feeling than to know you just changed a life in the beat of a wheelchair, or with a simple cup of coffee. We all have our callings, I have answered mine.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Journey To Nursing by Kim Bechard, RN

By
Nursing has always been a part of who I am. When I was very young, several of my aunts worked in nursing and I always had a deep admiration for them. In high school, I began taking health occupation classes and knew from that moment on, that I wanted to become a nurse. After high school, I began attending a community college, working on my nursing degree. Due to a lengthy waiting list for the RN program, I decided to apply for the LPN program. I was accepted and graduated a year later. While studying for my boards, I worked as a CNA in a nursing home. After working as an LPN for approximately fifteen years, I finally graduated with my BSN degree. I have always felt the need to care for others. My mother passed away when I was a baby and I lived with my grandmother thereafter and cared for her during her final moments when I was only thirteen years old. I have now worked as a nurse for almost twenty years and I really don’t know if I could do anything else. Being a part of TLC gives m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why I love my job by Sherry Lowell

By
The reasons I became an LNA/Caregiver, is because I felt the need to give back and felt there's a need for people that can no longer do for themselves; or family members are exhausted from the care they have given to a loved one. I feel with our veterans and the elderly, there is a need that I feel is tremendous and my chance to give back for the freedom they have given us.  I initially became a licensed nurse's assistant because of my daughter's passing. I wanted to show the compassionate side while grieving for my daughter. I now feel it's my pleasure and devote love for the work I do. Each person I care for or do something for is more my friends than clients.  I feel that since coming to TLC I have improved on many things. TLC is a compassionate company and shows us as LNA's or caregivers that we are appreciated and we then show our caring and love for the company. While working for TLC it's easy to fulfill my calling. I've been doing this work fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Keeping Elderly Minds Sharp and Active

By Anonymous
To stay in line with the last post; as important as it is to eat healthy, it is just as important for elderly adults to stay socially and mentally active! It is almost a cliché to think about an elderly person sitting in their recliner every day watching their “Soaps”, “Murder She Wrote” or their court room shows for hours on end. This is sometimes what people think of when it comes to the daily activities of an elderly person living independently at home. This would obviously not be healthy and by no means does this happen all of the time. However, it would be easy for someone to get into this habit as it almost gives them an escape from reality and allows them to form “bonds” with characters in the shows. It is critical for them to find other activities to stay happy and healthy and there are many other daily activities that they can do alone or with another person to keep their mind sharp and social skills intact. It is important for elderly individuals to keep their brains...
Post a Comment
Read more