University of North Dakota

The first job I had as a teenager was working for a summer in a Nursing Home. I knew that I had the patience to care for people from then on. I have had many experiences caring for elderly, disabled, and sick people that have brought me a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction. I have the utmost respect for elderly people. I knew from my upbringing that respecting elderly people and their wisdom would one day be a character trait I would be proud to possess. I would not trade my experiences learning from and caring for elderly individuals for anything! Elderly people have so much to offer, their patience, kindness, wisdom and understanding is what makes being a caregiver a great experience for me. I took care of a 92 year old lady who was confined to a wheelchair due to osteoporosis. She had a very accepting disposition and rarely complained about the pain she experienced. She needed assistance with transferring, toileting, bathing and other activities of daily living. She was an avid reader but was starting to become reclusive and depressed. I decided to ask her to allow me to take her outside for a walk, she agreed and was so grateful to me for taking her outdoors. After a week or so of our daily walks, I decided it was time for me to have a conversation about bathing. She had only had a sponge bath in the last nine months. I explained how I would assist her with transferring to the shower chair and how we would take it step by step and take all the time she needed to move to and from each chair.

I am a natural caregiver and have been working in this field since my first job. I love seeing people succeed and want to do whatever I can to help them reach their goals. I have worked many years in childcare and with those with special needs of all ages, including eldercare. I am very hardworking and would like to be there for whatever you need!

I understand what the patient and the family are going through and help ease the difficulties of caring for most conditions of illness and aging for both patient and family members. I became a caregiver after seeing how a family member was treated at a local facility so learned everything I could about the caregiving field and how best to help the patient with dignity and respect. Working as an on call caregiver I have those I take care of ask if I would be the full time caregiver. Because I was also a Dietary Manager taking care of nutrition, hydration, and choices is as important as anything else. It doesn't matter how much care a patient gets, if they don't eat, they don't recover well.

My daughter was born in 2001 with a very rare disorder which threw me into a unexpected situation of intensive care stays, surgeries, caring for many medical conditions, learning from doctors and was trained by nurses to care for my daughter so she would not have to live at Childrens Hospital. I learned and was able to care for my child, some things very difficult on many levels. My father is a retired orthepedic sugeon and Dr and my mother was a surgical nurse . They call me \"Dr Mom\". I take this as a very big compliment with their backgrounds. My daughters experiece has made me realize I lost my calling in the medical field. I am looking to do something flexible and give care I feel I am good at. I am looking to do this because I enjoy it. I am told over and over I should seek some type of employment in this field because I am \"so nice\". I can say I have a big heart and I enjoy family, my kids, helping others. I am not able this time to work full-time as I have older kids and schedules with them but I am looking for the right opportunity to help others and in turn feel I am giving back in life. It makes me feel good to help others and make a difference in someone else life with companionship. I am not looking to do heavy house work but don't mind doing some simple chores.