Caregiver of the Month, July 2020
Congratulations to our Caregiver of the Month for July 2020, Mila!
How long have you been a caregiver?
I have been working as a caregiver for 1 1/2 years.
Why did you choose to work at Right at Home?
Professional, friendly, welcoming local office environment; accommodating, easy to reach stuff; flexibility and ability to choose the shifts to work, Good office-caregiver communication and the ability to grow professionally through quality training sessions.
What got you started with Right at Home?
A friend who used to work for Right at Home had introduced me to the opportunity and encouraged to pursue the path of becoming a companion/caregiver with Right at Home.
What is your experience as a caregiver?
When I first started working for Right at Home, I had a limited experience in the field of caring for the elderly. It's been a journey of day to day learning and hands-on experience. Even though I've learned that the structure of everyday practical care like cooking, cleaning, running errands and following procedures for keeping the clients safe and hygienic is very essential to my clients' well-being, my personal presence and emotional involvement in their life is equally important. Many seniors I take care of live either by themselves or in a facility suffer from loneliness due to the loss or lack of presence of their immediate family members or close friends. Also many of them have become frail due to the advanced age and/or illness and are not able to live the productive lives they used to enjoy. All that combined with the perspective of not getting younger affects many of them emotionally and mentally, often bringing them to a state of anxiety and depression. I find that being there helping them engage in activities they may enjoy, having good positive conversations, using uplifting and reassuring words aids a lot in keeping their spirits up. Also encouraging exercise, physical activity, motivating to do cognitive exercises are all helpful in their day to day functions. While working with clients with dementia, in many cases advanced, I've learned the power of positive, encouraging words has a good effect. Even in cases when a person is not fully able to grasp a concept due to a cognitive decline, I think they are able to feel your good intent and kindness on a subconscious level. Also just being there for them and showing you care through your diligence, gentleness and kindness while performing your everyday tasks goes a long way.
I've also learned how it is important to see every elderly person as a unique individual they are, treating them with dignity regardless of their age or mental/cognitive state. I believe a person can always sense your respectful way and good intent towards them. Learning about their background, family, culture, values, preferences is a good and productive way to connect with them on different levels that will not only engage them in a conversation, but also provide a way to show you care.
In addition, I've learned that many seniors don't take their physical/mental decline lightly and are quite sensitive in some aspects of their personal care assistance feeling ashamed or embarrassed of their limits. It requires a lot of tact and sensitivity in proceeding with the care to not hurt their feelings.
A profession of being a caregiver is not the easiest one, it has some challenges, takes organization, readiness to handle some unexpected situations, it also takes commitment and sometimes sacrifice; however, seeing a smile lighting up your client's face, or hearing, "You are so good to me" lets you know you are making a positive influence on somebody's life. Nevertheless, even if there is no visible acknowledgement, just knowing that you've contributed in making somebody's life more comfortable and easier is a satisfying thing.
What is something that you like to do outside of work?
I like cross-country skiing. Growing up and living in Russia, it was one of the most popular winter outdoor activities in the area I lived in. I miss not being able to do it here!
