2014 Caregiver of the Quarter - Third Quarter
Deanna C. has advice for anyone considering a job as a caregiver.
“If it’s just a paycheck, it’s not the job for you,” said Deanna, Home Helpers of Hinsdale’s choice for Caregiver of the 3rd Quarter, 2014.
Deanna began working for Home Helpers in 2007, after several years working for another care agency. She said Home Helpers was a good fit from the very start.
“I think Mary and Mike are the nicest people in the world,” Deanna said of Home Helpers’ owners Mary and Mike Doepke.
The feeling is quite mutual.
Deanna is a companion and friend, as well as a caregiver, to several clients each and every week. Some of those clients want no one but Deanna to take them to their doctor appointments, help them with their shopping or join them for a meal.
“As a care manager, it is comforting to know Deanna is with our clients,” said Care Manager Mandy Greco. Greco said Deanna is attentive to her clients’ needs and is quick to report any changes in their conditions to her supervisors at Home Helpers.
Those supervisors agree that Deanna often goes above and beyond the duties of her job to “make life easier” not only for her clients but for the Home Helpers staff by adjusting her schedule to fill last-minute requests for care.
When one of Deanna’s clients became seriously ill, she adjusted her personal schedule to spend 12-hour days with her right up until the day she died. When another client refused to accept any other caregiver, Deanna adjusted her schedule again and added weekends to her work week.
“Each client is different,” said Deanna, who said it is the job of the caregiver to know and attend to each individual’s needs and preferences. Whether she is helping to prepare a healthy meal or taking a client out to see a movie, Deanna’s days are spent doing what is best for each person entrusted to her care.
Learn how you, like Deanna, can make a difference in someone’s life by joining the Home Helpers team of caregivers.