Five years ago, when caregiver Barbara Young first started working for Family Resource Home Care, it was as a nanny! For a brief time, FRHC provided nanny services for Microsoft employees who had a child home sick from school and needed help quickly so they could get to work. We no longer offer nanny service and after a year, Barbara switched over to doing elder home care. As a mom to 7 grown kids and 12 grandchildren, Barbara was a natural at caring for kids. She had not worked with seniors before, but found that it also “came naturally.”
“I adored my parents,” said Barbara “and I miss them terribly. Working with older folks reminds me of them, and I treat them just as if I was caring for my own parents.”
Over the years, Barbara has had 5 regular clients. Today she works as a live-in to one couple. She is with them from Friday – Monday and spends the other three days looking after her younger grandchildren and doing fill-in work for FRHC. She is extremely fond of her clients. “I learn so much from them. They are very down to earth, and have done a lot of living,” said Barbara. “They are so sweet to each other and it is very special to care for them and make a difference in their lives. I just love the fact that they can stay together, living in their own home.”
Barbara is an upbeat person with a calming personality. Still, she has had the occasional client who she would reluctantly label as “difficult.” “I had one client who was a bitter, angry lady. She hated everyone and was tired of living. But I knew not to take what she said personally. I stayed with her and eventually she came around. She was challenging but it was a rewarding experience,” Barbara reflected.
Barbara hopes to show her clients, “That I value them and I want to be with them, and at the end of the day I hope that they feel important and well cared for.”
