Congratulations to Runner-Up Sandra G. from Washington.
This is a wonderful time to share my story.
I have always been a caregiver by nature. I believe some are and some not so much. I am going to begin in 2007 when my mother came to live with my husband and I in our home. She was living alone in a Senior mobile home park. Retired from the US Postal Service of 30 years. She loved her independence. My brother lived in the same town but didn’t seem to have much patience with her. She had taken a fall one Christmas and ended up in rehab with wounded knees. That was a final straw for my brother. I then suggested that she come and visit. She was all for it. We spent a whole year with her. I had no idea that it was going to be one of the best blessings in my life. We did gardening and canning, went to bingo quite a bit, and we even drove back to her home town for her granddaughter’s wedding, where she brought homemade apricot jam for all the guests. Well at the end of 2007 she started declining.. and we went to doctors. All the normal testing done. We were informed that she has Mesothelioma (Massive cancer in her lungs) and was given weeks to months to live. This was on a Tuesday and she passed the following Tuesday in Hospice in my home. Looking back on the care I gave my mother in that year’s time, especially her final days. I believe it was my calling for where I am today as a caregiver, as you will find in the rest of my story.
A few months after she passed, I was seeking new employment. I got a job at a Memory Care facility as a full time housekeeper for three years. I developed a relationship with residents and met some wonderful people. I saw my mother in so many of the residents. My next job was at a retirement and rehab facility. I was there a few years and wanted to get more educated. My goal was to become a Social Worker in Hospice. I seem to have a knack for advocating for the elderly. I took a small break to help my daughter when she joined the military watching my grandchildren. We were at an Easter luncheon when I ran across a caregiver I worked with in the past. She told me about a job as a Home Care Aide (HCA). Needless to say, I got the job and all the training that came with it. I became a Licensed HCA and have been with that job for the past 10 years. I am on call with that job and more recently have a full time job at a memory care facility. I have several residents on a daily basis. Being a part of the daily care for someone brings me great pleasure. I feel my mom’s presence sometimes. Especially when it comes to the last days with someone I am caring for. Just feeling that sense of peace, knowing that I could give some comfort is so rewarding to me. This isn’t for everyone. But I believe God gives some of us the skills needed to care for someone in need. I am thankful for my mother and all she taught me. She instilled good morals and a good work ethic. I thank God on a daily basis for the guidance in taking care of our elderly. They have paved the path for the future and given such great knowledge of the past.
