Caregiver: Carrie W. | Home Care

A Caring Champion 2014 Nominee

By Nominated by Beth Bigham, employer/supervisor

Employer: ComForcare Senior Services

Location: Indianapolis, IN

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Inspiration for This Nomination:

I first knew Carrie was special when she came in and applied, and she scored 100% on one of our pre-employment tests. She really knew her stuff. From then on, she has excelled and shown leadership and professionalism as a CNA. I've promoted her to Sr. CNA and now as my first Client Liaison - all within 6 months. She is quick and hardworking. She works when she is tired and while her shoulder is hurting (13 yrs. has taken its toll). She is observant, caring and a great listener. She truly cares for all of the clients she has come into contact with. With her many years’ experience, she has easily passed the exam to be our Dementia Certification trainer - and will train our caregivers on the dementia program our corporate office has put together. She is more than a CNA -- she is truly a professional and I'm so proud that she is on our team.

Caregiver's Best Skills and Attributes:

Carrie is extremely knowledgeable. She has 13 years experience, and has taken many on-the-job courses, plus additional courses (like phlebotomy) above and beyond her job. She is sharp, and is not afraid to challenge someone if it would be in the best interest of the client/patient. She truly CARES.

Feedback About This Caregiver:

I know she has worked at facilities and for other companies. She is a hard worker and can work fast. She also knows had to read body language and really talks to the patients, so the patients respect her and vice-versa. One of our clients is sad that she has been promoted which means she won't be able to work directly with that client much. I've had to reassure the clients they will still get quality care -- Carrie will make sure of it. She will be instrumental in helping with our teach-back method of training our caregivers on-site. We hire for attitude but train for skill. Carrie will lead this area

What Others Have Learned from This Caregiver:

I have learned so much. I'm a business owner. I didn't come from a strong clinical background - only as much as what I learned from taking care of family members. She knows a lot of technical things, which have helped me to champion for my client's rights. When we put her through her Skills Testing (required by the state) -- even my nurse was really impressed. She was teaching the other caregivers things --- probably more so than the nurse (about lifts, making the bed with someone in it, etc.). She understands about rules, regulations, housing options, and the terminology. Even more critical, she understand what the client is thinking, what they're going through. She can really put herself in their shoes, making her a much more effective caregiver.

More About This Caregiver:

One, that she is so knowledgeable, hardworking, and quick about her job. But on a personal note, she is a single mom of five kids, all in school. I know that makes it rough to make ends meet and to give her kids the extras. Caregivers don't make that much - they're on a lower end of the pay scale. I just would really like for her to get some recognition because she deserves it. She's been in this industry for so long, and is currently sought after by at least one other company. And when I ask her about it, she just smiles and says, “Hey! I’m not going anywhere!” She sees our big picture and I look forward for her to be a part of it.

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