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Why I became a Caregiver by: Anna Baker

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Gandhi once said, “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” The dogma that Gandhi put forth that what is seen in the world is a somewhat loose reflection of what is seen in ourselves is such a profound idea; it has ignited a desire to not only discover what it is I can do to help the world, but also to recognize and improve what is already happening. By being the change I want to see, I can help turn the sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness, that is too often found throughout our world, into love, understanding, hope, and friendship. As this quote has empowered me, I plan to empower those around me through my dedication and passion for helping and caring for others.

Though there are a plethora of ways in which a person can show they care for others, I have chosen to care for others as a Licensed Nursing Assistant. For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the human body and its ability to function, heal, and adapt. Throughout my childhood, my parents, my teachers, the media, everyone has always talked about health and about being healthy. Medicine, health, and healthcare intrigued me. However, I also remember feeling afraid of these ideas as a child, as they seemed foreign and mysterious. I was hesitant of doctors with cold hands, weary of the dim LED lit rooms at the doctors’ offices, petrified of the long needles; I never felt quite at ease with being cared for in a healthcare setting. As I got older, I realized that many people shared the same, seemingly contradictory thinking as me: healthcare is both fascinating and quite intimidating. However, there does not have to be this rigid dichotomy between the two, as I believe caregivers can act as this bridge.

I chose to become a caregiver because, although I cannot take away the initial hesitations people may have, I can help to provide comfort and friendship. Growing old, becoming ill, or needing a little extra help can be scary, but it does not have to be done alone. Though family and friends are irreplaceable vessels of support, sometimes the presence of a healthcare professional that can act as both a friend and a caretaker can make all the difference.

One of my favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a poet, and philosopher, about helping others: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Reading this quote, it seems odd to say that the purpose of life is not to be happy. Nevertheless, I still agree. For me, I wish my purpose to be impactful, to create a ripple effect that pushes others to also be compassionate, honorable, and empathetic. Through these actions will true happiness come, not only for me but also for those around me, as I believe happiness will come as a consequence of a life well lived. For this reason, I have chosen a career as a caretaker.

TLC is an amazing company that truly focuses on the important parts of healthcare: compassion, dedication, and real-life connections with patients. I am able to fulfill my calling of caring for others while working for TLC in a variety of ways. One of the most important aspects of working for TLC is that I am able to build a real life, personal connection with not only my clients but also with my clients’ families. I feel that building a relationship with my clients’ friends and families foster an incredibly uplifting, encouraging, and personalized environment for my patient, which aids in their behavior, health, and attitude.

TLC is an incredible company in that it also understands and recognizes the importance of family involvement and offers an endless amount of support to the client’s family. As an in-home caretaker, I feel that TLC allows families to stay together if they so want, as they do not have to choose to send their loved ones to a rehab center, an assisted-living facility, or a nursing home if it is not their prerogative to do so. This ability of choice puts healthcare back into the hands of the clients and their families. Often times people heal, recuperate, or behave much better in their own home surrounded by familiarity and their friends and family. I am able to fulfill my calling of caring for others while working for TLC by being able to step in as this bridge between home and health and allowing patients and their families to make choices best suited for them.

Through working for TLC, I believe that I am positively improving my field because I am helping people to understand what healthcare should look like: individualized, full of compassion, and with extreme dedication. I hope that my clients and their families feel that I am offering a unique type of friendship that fosters a sense of hope, community, and encouragement and that growing old, becoming ill, or needing a little extra help does not have to be scary or intimidating. By being a caretaker, I am helping families to stay together, preventing feelings of loneliness or isolation, and encouraging the formation of new friendships. I believe that TLC does an amazing job at nurturing and promoting these themes in the lives of their patients.

TLC has allowed me to understand the importance of personalized care and that healthcare does not necessarily start at the hospital or at the doctor’s office, but often times starts at home. TLC has widened my perspective on what it means to receive care and has improved my ability to be a caretaker, as I can better understand the everyday stressors of both clients and their families.

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