CMSS’ SASI Home Care program provides non-medical home assistance to adults across Chicagoland. We assist older adults so they can remain in their homes and communities. We focus on ensuring the comfort of the people we serve and work to reduce the burden of care that often falls on family and friends. SASI Care Partners are highly trained and experienced in providing care to individuals living with memory loss.
This series shares the story of the SASI program from the perspective of Care Partners and clients. The below is an interview with Angie, one of the SASI Care Partners.
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Q: When did you first start working in home care, and what initially drew you to this work?
A: I used to work as a medical transcriptionist in the Cancer Treatment Center at Rush University. When I retired from that career, I started working in home care. I have always loved working with people, and I enjoy helping them.
I have a son who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome years ago. After he was diagnosed, I became really interested in learning how to work with people living with disabilities. I have learned so much over the years and have come to really enjoy working with older adults living with dementia.
I worked at another home care agency, before coming to SASI a little over a year ago. When I came to SASI, I was so impressed by the professionalism and the team here. There is really good communication between caregivers and administrative and supervisory staff. I feel like I have a lot of support from administrative staff. Also, the trainings we receive with SASI are very helpful.
Q: What do you find to be the most rewarding part of your work in home care?
A: The companionship is really rewarding. A lot of the people I work with live alone. I love to talk with people. I love to cook, too, and I like to make the things my clients like. I have a client whose partner is vegan, but the client likes to eat meat so I’ll bring chicken wings – one of her favorite foods when I’m there. That way, the client gets to eat the food she loves, and her partner, who is vegan, doesn’t have to cook meat. Often these small things can make a big difference, and they help build a connection with folks. I love seeing how people light up when they get to experience something that brings them joy.
Q: What is something new you’ve learned from this job?
A: Most of my clients have dementia and I like to help them feel good and feel good about themselves. That involves really getting to know the client – what do they like to do? What makes them happy? Sometimes this isn’t easy. Depending on the type and stage of dementia, they may be unable to share their memories or preferences. That is why talking to their family and friends to get that information is critical.
And sometimes, you need to figure out how to communicate with folks who may not be able to share what is going on by simply telling you. For example, I had a client who no one knew was in pain, but when I was working with her, I saw her facial expression change and realized that she was in pain from a rash. I learned to watch for changing facial expressions, instead of expecting people to tell me if something is wrong.
I have learned so much from the people I work with, including a lot about the different stages and phases of dementia. You need to learn as much as you can about the people you are caring for – what music they like, their favorite foods, their favorite shirt or pants, and their favorite places to sit. All of this can help me better provide care. Also a care plan is never complete; it is constantly being added to and adjusted to make sense for the client.
Q: Do you have a story about a time when you witnessed a positive change in a client or their family member that you believe was brought about by your services?
A: I really enjoy working with so many people, and I understand that everyone is different. Working with older adults, sometimes you meet people who had a really different upbringing or really different ideas than you were raised with. I have had clients that at first weren’t sure about having a new person in their home and I had the sense that I just needed to share more about myself to help them get to know me. Anytime you are working with people, I think it’s important to remember that despite any differences we might have, when we talk and listen, we can have good connections with one another. It’s important to me to have good relationships with clients despite our differences. I think it’s a powerful and an important thing to remember – no matter someone’s age, what their education level is, or where they are from – we have much to learn from each other. And we have more similarities than differences.
