It all started when I was working as a CNA in a nursing home assisting the elderly with their activities of daily living. I realized I could make a difference in people’s lives, by making them feel like they are heard on their specific needs/wants and tending to those needs/wants. I ensured that they were able to count on me showing up and on time as well. I started to see I was making a good impact in the lives of those I was a caretaker for.
I knew this not only because it was vocalized but also because each day the people I cared for showed it by being energetic and cheerful when I would arrive. I carried that confidence into the occupation of working with brain injury clients. There, I started as a residential counselor and soon was offered the position of Supervisor, where I managed 9 homes and the staff that worked in them. This is where I realized that to better serve the residents I needed to work with the caretakers and ensure they had the confidence they needed to care them. This affected the clients in a positive way by getting the upmost care they deserved.
Later, I would find myself working with those with the mentally challenged, working as a Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Assistant. I began doing more with clients. Taking them out in the community and getting them involved in outside activities in the community. That is where I learned what my clients wanted in life. The importance of feeling accepted by their peers and those in the community. What they needed individually in order to have a meaningful life and to be as independent as possible. Making their own decisions on what they wanted their schedule to look like, even their menu and all the activities they wanted to do. I taught new skills to maintain their independence, like managing their budget and many of the other ADLs.
Then, I was given the opportunity in the company to work as a Job Coach. As a Job Coach I assisted in the training of the client in their place of employment. I demonstrated instructed intervention techniques to help my client learn and to perform the task of their required job duties. Along with that, teaching appropriate social skills necessary for the job site and community they were in. But beforehand, I took the time to listen to what kind of things they did, and did not, enjoy and also to what kind of work they preferred. I never placed a client in a work place that they did not choose themselves or make them feel like they would not have the capabilities to do the work they desired to do. In this the client became confident, successful and had pride in what they did.
Eventually, I was then given another great opportunity within that company and that was working as a Coordinator where I managed a household for the mentally challenged along with managing the staff that worked with them. We worked as a team and had weekly meetings with those we cared for to ensure all needs were met while helping each person served not only feel heard but had the comfort of knowing they had control over their own lives. They were always put first.
All of this would not have been possible without my family, friends, and those who saw something in me to help guide and teach me to be the best caretaker that I am today. The patience of my family while I was working long hours to put the time in needed to learn and grow has made me more than grateful then I could ever express. I was blessed to have great friends who supported me and my goals. It has been an exciting journey to be where I am today. It is time for me to Dare to Do! Starting this company gives me a source of pride and is truly my passion.