Reflections on 30 Years In Care

I am not a clinician. I came to this industry by happenstance in 1989. I got to know an industry that was largely female populated, and I liked that. I liked to think that as nurturers we moved between children and seniors without skipping a beat.  What I never saw coming was the overwhelming sense of commitment that grew in me. That sense of “how can I help you to get what you need to stay safely in your home” It is what drives my ethic.

Home Care is an industry that continues to reinvent itself, mostly for the good but sometimes I find myself wondering “WHO does this help?” Are we keeping our eyes on our core purpose?  We have become much more organized, regulated and scrutinized, requiring all of us to rise to a higher standard. 

In 1989, In home support care was pretty much the wild, wild, west. Anyone could hang out a shingle and hire a caregiver and start a non-medical agency…. as I move through the continuum of my life, I find I have redefined what successful means.

Now just to be clear, I have primarily worked on the “Non – Medical” side of Home Care for the past 30 plus years but you know, no part of home care exists in a vacuum. Services, Needs, Consumers, Providers and Agencies are all intertwined sometimes erupting into a cacophony of single minded architects of your care, who are not listening to you or to each other……..Who will help you? Who will translate this unfamiliar tower of Babel of Care linguists?  Who will speak for you?

I will, I am your voice.

I like to think about what I do as “Concierge Service”, I am not usually looking to procure theater tickets, but my role is to help you to understand what your needs are, how to articulate them and to assist you  in finding what you need. I can’t stop there….. I want you to be safe. I want you to be cared for with dignity and respect. It is my job to bring to your table all of the possible avenues of assistance and to help you and your family with ancillary care needs even when they may be a little outside of the box.

I am your Concierge whether you are a Medicaid Waiver recipient or you are living in a luxury high rise and paying privately for care. I am your voice; to whomever is involved in planning your care. I will make sure you have safe medical escort service when needed and when necessary I will be there for your family who need to vent or to cry. I will always speak for your best interest.  And if you need me to, I will help you get theater tickets as a surprise for a loved one.

I am your voice and I have miles to go before I sleep.