I didn’t know I wanted to become a nurse. I was 19 when I took a free course through Boston Public Schools to earn my Licensed Practical Nursing license. From there I worked in many different fields, beginning at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital helping babies all the way to geriatric care. I didn’t realize I would spend the rest of my life taking care of other people, but I fell in love with the hands-on work, and eventually earned my degree and became a Registered Nurse.
I started my career at Caregiver Homes in 2010. At the time, I was a family caregiver to my dad and eventually took care of my mom too. If I could go back and do it all over again I would in a heartbeat. I loved taking care of them, that’s the way things are supposed to be, which is why I can relate to the caregivers that I help in Caregiver Homes.
One perk about working at Caregiver Homes is the opportunity to build my working schedule around my personal schedule. When I cared for my mother, I could build my appointments around my mother’s needs so I could keep caring for her. I would schedule my appointments earlier in the day so I could spend the afternoon with her. It was great being able to be there for her.
When you’re a caregiver, you understand how important it is for people to check up on you. They become a connector to the outside world. When I stop-in to see my families it helps both the patient and the caregiver. They know I’m there to say hello and aid any medical issues they may have. It makes a world of difference to know that someone cares. I love providing that to my families.
After several years working at Caregiver Homes I made the decision to leave the company. It was a needed change for me at the time, but I found myself missing my families. I missed checking in on them and making sure they were okay. I missed those relationships. After three months of being gone, I came back because I missed those interactions so much.
Being a caregiver isn’t easy, something I understand after caring for my parents. I know what the families I’m helping are going through. It means a lot to me to know that they’re okay. I know my help means even more to them.
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