March 2019 Employee of the Month

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BRIGHTSTAR CARE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH OF MARCH - ELIZABETH RUIZ

BIO
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A CAREGIVER?
I have been a caregiver since February 2015 to be exact. I first started with my grandfather who had a fall.  After a month when he was all better, I applied to start working at an assisted living facility where I worked for two years with elders and have been doing this ever since.  I also did a phlebotomy course engaging in conversation with elders whilst drawing blood during my externship. From all my experiences, I know that I enjoy engaging and helping others and my future goal is to have a medical career.
 
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME A CAREGIVER?
What really motivated and inspired me towards this career was helping my grandfather.
 
WHAT ASPECT OF YOU JOB ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?
I am passionate about helping others in need.  I have a great feeling in my heart when I know I helped someone accomplish things during the day.
 
HOW ARE  YOU MAKING MORE POSSIBLE FOR  YOUR BRIGHTSTAR CLIENTS?
I am making it possible for my Client to feel independent in a way that he can accomplish his regular tasks which he used to do on a daily basis as a retired lawyer.  He now has illness and age related issues that make these tasks too difficult for him to perform on his own.  He is even taking on new hobbies with my assistance!
 
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER CAREGIVERS?
Be patient, be loving, because this job is rewarding just by looking at our Clients’ appreciative and smiling, happy faces.
 
TELL US YOUR FAVORITE CAREGIVING MOMENT/STORY –
My favorite memory is when I met Herb (my current Client). I found out we had so many things in common - for example, we love taking pictures of nature, we enjoy photography contests and we also enjoy helping others in need.
 
HOW DO YOU RE-ENERGIZE?
I re-energize when I am thanked by family members, staff and my Clients. When they tell me I am doing the right thing and being helpful, I feel accomplished and just knowing that they like to have me help makes me love my job!
 
A FEW WORDS ABOUT ELIZABETH FROM THE BRIGHTSTAR OFFICE STAFF:
Elizabeth has grown into one of our BrightStar superstars.  She has really shined with one of our more demanding long-term Clients, we were originally skeptical to match her but she showed us how her warmth, compassion and hard work can win even the tough ones over.  Elizabeth also showed us that sometimes it takes a couple tries to find the right match, we’ve seen this many times and are true believers that the key is matching the right person to the right situation or Client and then magic happens .   As Elizabeth discovered, her computer skills were important to grow for her shift – she stepped up, never gave up, impressed us and is now also a part of our office team on her off days with her Client.  We love having her as she is always positive, helpful, engaging with a can do attitude.    She communicates well not only with her Clients but also with the office.
 
ELIZABETH will be a WEST COAST CANDIDATE FOR CAREGIVER/NURSE OF THE YEAR. ONE EMPLOYEE WILL BE SELECTED FROM EACH REGION TO BECOME A BRIGHT STAR NATIONAL FINALIST…PLEASE SEE VIDEOS OF LAST YEAR AND 2017 FINALISTS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET (and get a tissue):
 
LINK TO CAREGIVER OF THE YEAR VIDEOS - 2018 
 
LINK TO CAREGIVER OF THE YEAR 2017 VIDEOS