I'm not usually much of a hopper, but I just couldn't resist this one.
I recently started reading Your Doctor's Wife. It's a great blog and her header is one of the coolest I have EVER seen. For real.
Anyway, I couldn't resist this blog hop because it's a Medical Monday hop. Not only I am in the health care profession, but today makes one year that I've been caring for my main client.
I absolutely love what I do. If you're new here, I do home health care. I'm a CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant. I work for an agency but since I started, have had one main client.
The type of work I do is very hands on. Very personal. I help my clients with any aspect of their daily lives that they need help with. Some of the things I help with are dressing, taking medications, and going to appointments. I cook their meals. I see them at their worst and their best.
My main client gets 24 hour care. She can do very little for herself. I help her with any and everything. I have met all of her children and most of her grandchildren. I have bonded with my client and her family. I spend so much time at her home, it's like a second home to me.
Sidenote: All of my clients thus far have been continent (meaning they need little to no help using the restroom). This has been a blessing. I can and will do whatever I need to do, but I won't lie and say I'm not glad that I don't have to deal with a lot of....ummmm....waste products!
My philosophy is that I treat my clients the way I would want my parents to be treated. I am respectful and caring and warm. I do my best to help them maintain their dignity in a time where that can be a challenge. I speak to them with kindness, never talking down to them. I don't give orders, I make requests. I ask their opinion instead of making choices for them regarding things like meals and clothing. I wouldn't work in an environment where other caregivers did not treat their clients respectfully; I simply couldn't tolerate it.
I have loved senior citizens for as long as I can remember. I first felt called to do this type of work several years ago. Two years ago I finally took the plunge and did it. And I love it. I've never had a job that I loved this much, that was this rewarding and fulfilling. I feel appreciated and valued. I don't dread going to work. I think I've only missed work once this entire year and it was totally inevitable (and with the insanity I've been through this year, that's saying a LOT). This agency has been good to me and I appreciate them. When I first started, along with my main client I also cared for the company owner's grandmother until she passed away. I adored her and every time I left, she told me she loved me and gave me a hug. I miss her dearly.
It's a unique job. It has its challenges but the rewards are great.
I've worked in health care for over six years now and I can't imagine doing anything else, although I do plan to advance in this field. (I worked as a tech in a hospital for four years and did home health care independently for a year after that.)
I am not certain what the future holds; I have goals, hopes and dreams. But I know the health care field is where my heart is, and where I'll always be!
