Joshua F.

My personality traits that help me to be a great caregiver include: patience, compassion, attentiveness, dependability, and trustworthiness. I was attracted to becoming a caregiver after caring for my own grandmother through her years of battling alzheimer's disease. As a caregiver, I enjoy making a difference for a better quality of life, and I am proud to have done so, for the families I have worked with over the past 6 years.

I was honored to care for a 63 year old professional dog trainer who suffered from Kugel Welander disease. The condition had stolen over 95% of her muscle control including her ability to breathe without the assistance of ventilators. I was privileged to not only assist her in training her dogs but also in helping her to continue to compete with them against people without handicaps til the time of her passing. As her primary live-in caregiver for 4 years I prepared her meals, bathed her, dressed her, washed, conditioned & even coloured her hair. Transfer from bed to wheelchair & back was manual lift & carry but I have extensively used Hoyer lifts as well. I not only drove her all over the state of Florida but I also accompanied her across the US so she could continue to devote her remaining time to doing what she loved the most. I worked closely with her respiratory therapist to maintain her ventilators & also managed her inventory of other health & animal care related equipment. Since her passing I've become a state certified CNA in Florida and Tennessee. I'm currently working on the observation floor at Holmes Regional Hospital. This new experience has helped me become a well-rounded caregiver because in a very short period of time I've assisted nurses with an amazing variety of patients & illnesses. I learn more & more with every shift not just clinically but about the vitality of human beings.