HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A CAREGIVER?
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I've been working as caregiver for 3 years.
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME A CAREGIVER?
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I took care of my grandparents when I was in the Philippines. I love older people because they are wise. I also needed a job to take provide for my family in the Philippines.
WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR JOB ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?
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I try to encourage my clients and make them happy. Positive encouragement is important to my clients. I share my faith with them also and let them know that God loves them. I treat my clients like they are my parents, with love. Building a relationship is important to me because it increases the satisfaction of my clients. My desire is to give my clients the best care I can give them. The client's hygiene is also very important because it makes them feel better when they are clean.
HOW ARE YOU MAKING THINGS MORE POSSIBLE FOR YOUR BRIGHTSTAR CLIENTS?
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I encourage my clients to do things for themselves. I assist them in being independent. They appreciate doing things even when they need my help, it makes them feel better about themselves.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CAREGIVERS?
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Treat each client with respect. Our clients love it when you give them attention. Some are lonely and the time you spend with them helps them feel good about themselves.
TELL US YOUR FAVORITE CAREGIVING MOMENT/STORY:
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All my clients are special, but I have one client that was combative, and no one could handle her. She spit on me, punched me, and talked badly about me. I only smiled when she did these things and treated her with respect (like my mother). I observe her and discover her likes and dislikes so I could build a relationship with her. She loved sweets, so I brought sweets to give her when she acted nice. She changed her mood eventually because of the treats and even started telling me she loved me. And she allowed me do things I need for her (clean and shower her). Difficult situations are more rewarding than easy ones.
HOW DO YOU RE-ENERGIZE?
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I re-energize by always looking at things positively. I am encouraged by the opportunities my job gives me to be successful. God knows my heart and put me into this field so I could use the gifts he gave me.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT NIN FROM AN APPRECIATIVE CLIENT:
"I can't say enough about BrightStar and my caregiver, Charistine, who has been with me for about nine months. Since day one, and every day after, she has been simply outstanding! I would not say that my caregiving needs are difficult, but I would say that for me to be physically and mentally comfortable, my caregiver must pay particular attention to the many details - Charistine does this every single time.Because of her, my anxiety, and certainly my blood pressure too, has decreased immensely - gone are the days I wonder if my caregiver will show up, gone are the days when I wonder what mood they might be in, or if they are going to do a good job, and on and on. I sincerely thank her every time - she is far and away the best caregiver I've ever had!
Also, during the holidays, a personal caregiver of mine (not affiliated with BrightStar) went out of town for about three weeks. Several weeks in advance, I notified BrightStar that he would be absent and asked them if they could provide a substitute for me.
Despite the holidays, and everyone wanting time off - including of course their own caregivers - the good people at BrightStar made sure I did not go without care. Another huge anxiety reliever - thank you all at BrightStar!" ~Chris W.