Skip to main content

Why I became a Caregiver by Christine Davis

By
When I think back to my childhood, I remember spending many weekends with my maternal grandparents. They were kind – especially my grandmother, a small elderly woman in her seventies when I was in my pre-teen years. She was very good to people, especially those who were widowed, or without family near them. We would always take a meal and baked goods to those who she felt needed it. One of their friends lived in a big old farmhouse without electricity or running water. The road was similar to a path and we had to park the jeep and walk carrying the goodies to her doorstep. She lived by herself (her husband had passed away), and she had animals and a garden. She heated up the meal we brought on a wood cook stove and had oil lamps all over her house for light. I remember the look on her face and how appreciative she was to have visitors and the extra food. I believe this is when I realized it was rewarding to do for others – to care.

I have always smiled at people I meet, held the door going into a store, assisted an older couple that looked as though they needed a hand or helped a young mother with her children at the checkout by smiling and talking with them. Compassion for children with special needs is also a trait of mine and I believe that if they receive the right education and patience, they will have a quality life. Everyone deserves a quality life, right?

Hence, I’m a caregiver! Officially eight years ago after we moved to Morrisville, Vermont, I applied to a company and had my first experience assisting a client in their home with dementia. When I looked around the home at photographs and listened to the life once lived it made me realize how lucky I was to have my health. The person I was now caring for had lived a long life, worked hard, respected and loved his parents, and now had forgotten everything. He was unable to care for himself and needed 24/7 care. I felt privileged to be there and this first experience enlightened me immensely, perhaps to what my purpose for the rest of my life might be. I found out that he had played the violin as a younger man and I found a television show with music that he could listen to and watch. When I was told by another caregiver that he preferred it quiet – I observed him as I turned on the weekly program -he tapped his foot and smiled at me and I knew more needed to be done for him. Others followed my lead and he did experience quality in his remaining days.

My experience ranges from dementia and Alzheimer's care to hospice care, regular housekeeping duties and personal care. I had private clients in addition to working for caregiving agencies.

I have had some experience in a residential care facility and wanted to make changes, however, became discouraged and left the job.

I became an LNA over three years ago but didn’t use it in the facility I was in, and it lapsed. An LNA instructor told our class that TLC was a great organization and if we didn’t use our licenses, TLC would provide a great opportunity for us. After three years of frustration, I decided it was time to apply and soon was interviewed and hired. The orientation was very thorough, informative, educational and the presenters were great. I love learning all the time and always want to become part of a team that is professional and makes a loving difference in the lives of others. I have found my new team!


TLC provides caregivers, LNAs, LPNs, RNs and other professional staff to facilities and individuals as contracted. Their incentives and benefits are amazing and I will begin several classes to enroll in a nursing program – the ultimate goal is to become an LPN and hopefully work for TLC.

I live in a rural area and many of the small towns have people who need care such as TLC offers. The need is great for many reasons – people live longer today, most want to live in their own homes as long as they are able, and family members have moved to urban areas or entirely different states and cannot help their loved ones. Healthy meals, daily/weekly assistance around the home all contribute to a quality life that most nursing homes or residential facilities lack. In addition, we provide the ability for clients to build relationships with their caregivers and the consistency for us to truly know them and provide the best possible care. Respect, admiration, genuine friendship is available and one can never have too many people who care about them. Their history, past work and family, trips they took, etc. are shared with us and I always thank them for letting us or me into their home and life.

I believe the caregiving occupation and nursing positions will continue to evolve, but at this time the caregiver role is diversified and the need for professional individuals who truly care is growing. Training and expectations will continue to change according to needs. Successes will spread by word of mouth from one person to the next. This will increase service-oriented businesses like TLC to never become lax or stagnant.

I am happy as a caregiver and look forward to sharing my story with others. Developing my professional abilities is a goal I intend to keep not only for myself but for the clients and families I serve as well.

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

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

By
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...
2 comments
Read more

Sharing is caring By Wendy Bombard BSN RN

By
When did I determine that caring for others in the nursing profession was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life? Between birth and elementary school age, I required several surgeries at two large hospitals. It was here, between the ages of four and nine that I watched the nurses do their everyday work. As a child, I was excited by the human body, and realized that I had a love for the health care profession. I was given the opportunity to do some community service in ninth grade. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a candy striper in a rehabilitation facility. I remember my first day at the center dressed from head to toe in a red and white candy striper uniform. I remember sitting on the edge of Maggie’s bed and despite her glass eye that wandered around, was focused on her detailed stories of her past. I was captivated. She would share with me how happy she was to see me every week and I felt incredibly special. I felt like I was doing something good with my life, and I fe...
Post a Comment
Read more