Connie P.

It's hard to tell about yourself, because others see things that you, yourself don't see. I love helping people and when I worked at Northeast Ga, I would sit with patients on weekends that needed someone to stay with them. As people get older they don't like to admit that they need help. We feel like if we admit that we need help we are giving up our independence. The family is usually the first to say "Mom/Dad" needs help, which is usually true, but they just don't want to admit that they really could use some help. Maybe not all the time, but a few day a week. When I meet with the family about staying with their family member, the first thing I assure them is that I am not there to take away their independence, I am there to help them keep it. I love meeting new people and I have learned that as our lives get more busy, it's nice to have someone to take you to the grocery store or a Dr's. appointment or just to keep you company for awhile and help with some things that you just can't quiet do anymore alone. When your children or family just don't have the time to be there at the times that you need them. I help with things that the patient needs, if it's fixing them something to eat, do some household chores, assisting with bathing, getting dressed, giving meds. Whatever it takes to make the patient feel comfortable when the family is not there.

I decided to become a caregiver after helping take care of my grandfather for a little over a year! I enjoy getting to sit and talk with people and more importantly make them clean and comfortable! I worked in an Alzheimer's care unit at a senior living facility for two years and then moved on to a daily senior center where I could have a little more interaction with seniors and just get to spend time with them and talk to them!! I love working with seniors and being a caregiver and even on the worst of days they always make me smile which makes it all worth it!