Employee Spotlight is a new Homewatch CareGivers of Crystal Lakeblog seriesmeant to surface stories of the amazing individuals behind our local caregiving service. From office workers and owners to the actual caregivers in the field, you’ll get to hear stories from our team so you can get to know the people who makes us who we are.
Sandy has worked as a caregiver for Homewatch CareGivers (HWCG) of Crystal Lake for about three years, and prior to working at HWCG was a caregiver for about 7 years. Throughout her seven years working for other caregiving agencies Sandy really enjoyed the time she was able to spend with various clients, but never really felt valued by her agencies. However, Sands said her experience working with HWCG been exactly what she was looking for. She is particularly happy with HWCG’s “family environment” and the feeling that the management really cares about both the clients and caregivers (something that was lacking at her previous employers).
In talking about what first motivated Sandy to pursue a career in caregiving, she mentioned that she was laid off from her corporate job after nearly 30 years and used that as an opportunity to explore work that would actually fill her spirit. This led her to caregiving and though it is sometimes challenging, Sandy said she would never again consider working in a field other than caregiving.
One experience that has been emblematic of Sandy’s time as a caregiver is her relationship with a client who has been living with Alzheimer’s Disease and has been unable to recognize many people in her life, including family. Because of this, her client often experienced a lot of anxiety and confusion and didn’t recognize her when Sandy came to care for her. However, one day her client recognized her and told her, “Sandy, you are part of the family.” This experience was especially touching to Sandy because her own father also lives with Alzheimer’s Disease, so she really felt the importance of that moment and said it was better than any reward or money because she knew she was making a real difference in her client’s life. Another client of hers was a man who lived with congestive heart failure and right before he passed away, he pointed at his wife and told Sandy, “you take care.” She took this very seriously and though she is not a caregiver for his wife, she still makes a habit of visiting her because she is part of the family.
When she is not at work Sandy enjoys singing at her local church with her husband Greg. Sandy is also working on writing a Christian novel which she hopes will spark imagination and give her readers insight into their faith. She also loves to get together with her children and grandchildren to tell stories and sing karaoke.
Are you interested in learning more about Homewatch CareGivers of Crystal Lake and how we can develop care partnerships? Contact Us to learn more!
