One of the most exciting parts about interviewing new caregivers for Assisting Hands Home Care is that you never really know who is going to walk in your door. A world of possibilities exists with the next best team members and caregivers, who make up the gems of our team that drive the culture of our organization.

About Kelley

Kelley was just one of those key people. She recently finished her CNA program at Harper College and it’s clear that she was born to work in healthcare. She thrives on the challenge of new cases, loves learning, and recognizes the importance of paying close attention to detail while caring for her clients.

Kelley has an innate understanding for the changing nature of caregiving and is always willing to help when we need a hand.  Whenever I ask how she’s doing with her cases, Kelley’s first reply is, “I love it!”  Having team members who truly love their work means they see caregiving at Assisting Hands Home Care as more than a job.

We know that when we provide home care services, the biggest piece of feedback we hear is that families would like someone who is compassionate with their mother, father, husband, or wife. Thank you, Kelley. You provide just that and so much more!

Here is Kelley, in her own words, answering a few questions about herself and her motivation for becoming a caregiver:

1. What inspired you to be a caregiver?

What inspired me to go into healthcare was my parents, mostly my father because of his bypass surgery. I saw lots of healthcare workers who were in and out of his hospital room, they didn’t stay very long to comfort my dad and family. I learned that in healthcare, CNAs spend the most time with their clients. They talk and provide comfort and I wanted to do that because in the home setting you get more one-on-one time with the clients and family and get to learn a lot.

2. What advice would you give to new caregivers?

The advice I would give to new caregiver is to remember compassion and quality. The time you get with clients and loving family members are precious, there is so much to learn when you take care of them. The last piece of advice is to always provide support and encouragement to the client and family to assure them that they are doing great work and that they are providing get care to their loved one. Remember even little step they make is a step in the right direction, help them out and praise them for doing as much as they can but always be there to assist them and tell them even if they can’t do it alone or at all they are still trying and should be praised for trying.

3. Why do you like working in home care?

Quality time, lessons in life from firsthand experience from the client, and companionship, these are some of the reasons why I like home care so much. I love to get my clients talking and listening to their stories from childhood, war if they went and friends along with places they have traveled. Every client is unique no one of them is the same which is why not just taking care of them but providing comfort and a listening ear is why I like to work in the homes and provide care to the clients.

4. What are your future goals?

Learning is always my goal. Every client has a different reason to need home healthcare and no one client and family is the same. I love preparing meals, especially baking, and doing home care means I get to learn how they like their meals prepared. They always give recipes and I like to include them in the process because for me, cooking and baking are fun and it gets them talking. All clients are unique and I like to learn the different ways clients have adapted to being in need of home healthcare, and having caregivers help them and assist with all their needs.

5. What do you like to do when you’re not working with Assisting Hands?

In my free time, I like to work out on a bike and also play with my dog. I am really into learning to prepare and cook healthy meals that my father needs to eat since he has heart problems. I like to bring those meal ideas to the client, where we get to work together to turn the recipe into something they would enjoy.

 6. What do Kelley’s clients have to say about her care? 

“Thank you so much for sending Kelly to my house to watch my mother this last Saturday night.  She exceeded any expectations that I had.  She was so sweet, and my mom loved her.  My mom was actually on her “A” game, and I think that she talked Kelly’s ear off.  My mom has already told me that if we need to go out again, she wants Kelly back. It was a wonderful experience for my family.”

Contact Us

Are you interested in becoming a caregiver like Kelley? Give us a call at (847) 499-1307. We look forward to hearing from you!