MY PERSONAL STORY
Thank you for taking a look at our website. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mercy. I am a co-director of JM Homecare Agency and a qualified professional caregiver. I am also a full-time mom and grandmother blessed with five beautiful children and two very adorable grandsons. Originally from the Philippines, my family and I first moved to Winnipeg Manitoba, and have been living in Canada for over twenty years.
Jacqueline and I decided to start up JM Homecare because we both believe in the importance of family and have seen the growing need for well-trained professional caregivers. We know that taking care of a family, managing a career, and maybe even caring for an aging family member can be a juggling act. My personal beliefs and values, as well as my relationship with my children, all govern my philosophy and my work here at JM Homecare.
MY NANNY STORY
As for my nanny story? I personally don’t have one. But, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of these wonderful women through friends of mine. From personally spending time getting to know them, and their experiences living and working in Canada, I understand and know how it feels to be in a foreign country, leaving family and dear ones behind.
Nannies are special individuals who provide dedicated loving care, and also nurturing the young minds of a brighter future. Other than the parents, nannies are responsible for how these young individuals develop and grow during the first years of their lives. Thus, nannies contribute a part of themselves to the children they care for.
Today’s economic changes have led to a shift in family dynamics. With both parents increasingly working full-time, children no longer receive as much personal care as they did in the old days when one parent, grandparent(s), or a family member was always home to care for them. I was very fortunate to be able to stay home with my children when they were younger. Later on, when I started working, I had my in-laws caring for my children.
Unfortunately, these days, the burden parents have to carry to provide food on the table, a roof over their head, and paying for necessities and activities for their children does require most parents to both work. Therefore, it is imperative that children have a good role model in their lives besides their parents. Nannies provide the care and love that children need while the parents are away at work. Thus, the safety and well-being of the child is entrusted to the nanny. Nannies play a very special role, nurturing the child, guiding them, and protecting them. This is what makes a nanny special.
MY CAREGIVER STORY
As a professional caregiver myself, I have seen the flaws of an industry that is very much focused on the financial aspect. I have witnessed situations which disheartened me and made me question the very fabric of this field of care-giving. Let me share more about these experiences.
I have witnessed insensitive and uncompassionate care practiced unethically. I have worked in a facility where elderly clients whose simplest requests to be taken to the washroom were ignored as workers tended to their tasks. In other situations, elderly clients had rushed feedings, been left in soiled diapers, or “manhandled” roughly. This enrages me as we would never want this kind of care for ourselves, or for our loved ones. So, why is it acceptable care for others? Well, it’s not, it shouldn’t be, and it is simply unacceptable.
Being an elderly caregiver has its challenges and I have encountered a number of situations. I once had an elderly client in a nursing facility that was verbally abusive to all the workers. How did I deal with it? I prescribed a dose of humour and Teflon ears. Let me tell you more about it.
One morning, I was giving him his routine care. On this particular morning, during the process of getting his breakfast ready, he was mouthing off vulgarities which were quite disturbing. I responded in a kind, familial voice that was gentle. Instead of becoming upset and taking it personally, I chose to be pro-active and respond in the opposite manner. As my co-worker and I reflected back later, it was somewhat amazing as we noticed a positive change in his behaviour. He actually used the words “Please” and “Thank you.” We realized that our positive loving actions changed his attitude. Perhaps being institutionalized had taken its toll on this elderly man. However we choose to deal with people, initially, we might not receive the response which we want. But with determination, you can move the earth if you choose to.
Professional care giving can be highly rewarding, and it is a calling. The financial rewards in one’s life can never outweigh the satisfaction of knowing that one’s actions can positively changed and influenced the lives of others. When your compassionate care gains the trust of your clients, there is a real sense of accomplishment. When you see them clean, comfortable and smiling, you know that you’ve have made their lives easier. There is nothing that can compare to an elderly client who is left with a smile on their face and later comes to regard you as a friend and a confidante. Professional caregivers can gain contentment in the fact that they are helping their elderly clients maintain a high quality of life. They are the foundation and cornerstone of our past, having contributed to the betterment of our society. They deserve our respect, our care, and should be held in high regard.
I would like to thank the wonderfully dedicated, professional and loving caregivers who have made an important contribution to the field of care giving, and continuously providing care and support for others. May the world be filled with plenty of you so that we can live in a better world and have a brighter future. If you think you have what it takes to be a professional caregiver, give us a call to discuss your first steps towards a fulfilling career.
