Hello! My name is April. I live San Fransisco, CA at the end of March. And I have one year of experience as a caregiver.
I became a caregiver because I was dancing at different nursing homes and assisted living homes and senior centers for about eight years with my dance partner. We taught basic ballroom dance classes as well as enlisted the participation, the residents living at those different homes. We provided music, entertainment. And I love working with the elderly population. I've always actually found our elders provide a lot of wisdom ever since I was a little girl. And it just seemed like a natural fit to go into the area of caregiving for seniors.
My advice to a new caregiver would be to have a sense of humor. That always helps in situations where those you're working with, especially the elderly population, might be in a more vulnerable position in life. So having a good sense of humor can help in those situations. Also, just remembering that you're there to provide a bright spot.
A client I will never forget is Gene. He is 89 years old and he has been living alone for about maybe five years or so. His wife passed away several years back. And he wanted to continue living in his home. And the reason he's most memorable to me is because he's 89 years old and he still is super engaged in life. He loved going for bike rides on his trike.