One Reason to be a Caregiver- by Janell, CAREGiver & Guest blogger

I have been asked why I want to spend my working hours as a caregiver? Like many people, I worked behind a desk for years and although I enjoyed the work, I felt there was something missing. Turns out that “something missing” was the satisfaction of having helped someone have a better day.

As a Caregiver, I have the chance to meet some great people. Those people usually have a need that has to be filled and when I can help with that and do it as a friend might do it for them, I feel a great satisfaction. I never look at a job as merely helping someone clean house or providing transportation to the doctor's office. I'm not a "cleaning lady" (my husband can attest to that) and I am not a taxi service BUT through HomeInstead I have the opportunity to become a friend when a friend is needed. I am always on the look out for the opportunity to meet someone very special and to my great surprise, I often do!

What I particularly like about HomeInstead is that they interview the client to determine a specific objective before a caregiver is selected. I feel confident going into a client’s home that I have a very good idea of what I need to do to make that client happy with me. That makes it easy for me.

I often put myself in the client’s shoes. I wonder if I was recovering from a fall and needed help to get ready for bed would I want a stranger to help me? How would I react and what would help me feel more comfortable? And then that’s the way I try to approach that person/that situation. I don’t want to be thought of as a stranger after that first visit and when I don't feel the part of a stranger anymore, I know it is a job well done. And that makes for a very fullfilling position.