Skip to main content

Becoming a caregiver By: MaryAlice Callahan

Becoming a caregiver
By: MaryAlice Callahan

I became a caregiver because I knew that it was a career that I would be great at.  I worked on Hematology/Oncology for a few years and would see people that needed my help, but because I was a secretary and not a licensed caregiver I was not allowed to help.  It really bothered me because I saw the hurt and pain in their eyes and I would want so badly to be able to fulfill their request, big or small.  

After my years at the hospital, I became a Medical assistant for an OB/GYN in South Burlington. I worked alongside with her, and again was in the presence of people who at times needed  tremendous support, and this time I was able to help them.  I also worked as a cosmetic laser tech in her office, and I loved the feeling when they saw their acne scars erased or spider veins that have embarrassed them forever disappear. I felt that there was an intimate exchange of energy between myself and them.  There was the look of Thank you, in their eyes, even before they had a chance to say it.

I am able to fulfill that which I pray for everyday.  I pray that God keeps my family in excellent health, I pray for an abundance of wealth and happiness and love.  This career as a caregiver, keeps me in excellent health. I am able to be there for people that for whatever reason, are unable to care for themselves.  I make sure that while they are in my care, they receive the best care possible, and they always tell me how thankful they are and that I'm such an angel, or they say that I shouldn't have to do this kind of hard work. 
I am a very fortunate person.  I treat everyone with 100 percent respect and kindness, whether they are multi- millionaires or a schizophrenic veteran living in a nursing home.

This work has been called Gods work.  To me, it’s about being there for our fellow human beings.  I make sure that while I am at work,  I maintain an upbeat attitude.  I ask them questions about the good old days, and many times have learned a thing or two. I know that we have this in common; I have been unable to care for myself before and I needed help.  I'm sure that when I make my full circle in this world that I will need help with dressing, and eating and using the bathroom and of course,  painting on my eye brows.  I hope that I will have a caregiver like myself and the staff at TLC Home Care Services, to give me that same Tender, Loving Care.    


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My Story to becoming a Caregiver by Yenda’Me Malia, LNA

I grew up in Claremont, New Hampshire with my mother, father, and older brother, Tony. All of us were healthy, except for Mum, she was always sick. I cannot remember a time in my childhood, or my adulthood when she did not have something wrong with her. She had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, ovarian cancer, and diabetes, to name a few. She fought hard to be well, and, with the exception of all her life-threatening illnesses, she was able to lead a somewhat normal life. There were, however, a lot of trips to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, a lot of check-ups with her general practitioner and a lot of treatments; some common, some experimental, some that could kill her. As a young child in elementary and middle school, I worried about my mother all the time. There were many days I envisioned coming home from school to find her deceased, and it terrified me. When I knew she was having a particularly bad day, I would do extra chores to help her out, so she could rest. I knew, from that young age
Is Home Care the Right Fit? People typically reach a point in life where they either don’t know what to do or feel like they are stuck between two incredibly difficult options, when it comes to what the best choice for an aging loved one would be. Do you put them in an assisted-living facility where they have care 24/7, but risk making them unhappy as they will be living in an unfamiliar and potentially uncomfortable environment? Or do you look to see if there is a different option available that causes less stress and change? Regardless of what decision is made, seeing a family member or loved one age can be a difficult process as there are so many different things to think about and balance. You always want what is best and safest for your loved one, but sometimes it seems like the easiest option would be to put them in a assisted-living facility so they can get around the clock care. However, there is an alternative option out there that minimizes change in one’s life and that

Becoming an LNA By: Angeline J Hemple

Becoming an LNA By: Angeline J Hemple My story in a nutshell on why I feel I am who I am today. When I was a child, I noticed I always had a sensitive side, mostly with Animals. Where I grew up the kids were not so nice so I stuck to myself a lot. But I wanted to be sweet and cheerful and I felt sad because I couldn't be those things. I was told I had to be tough, Not to show my sensitive side so other kids wouldn't think different of me. I lived basically in a wooded area growing up and it was full of life. A place where I could be me. I pretended to be a doctor and would go in the woods and build a fort from whatever I could find. When I finished my task, I would go find nature animals, knowing how dangerous it could be. But I didn't see it like that. I always knew there is a danger in whatever it is you do. But I was not afraid. And that’s where I found my first patient, a baby bird that fell out his nest by the river. I knew the rules if you touch it, mom would n