caregiver

Matt Boyd, boss, leader and friend.

The best part of my career is taking care of people that need me, but to do that I need a good company with good leadership. I am currently employed at Right at Home Nashville located in Nashville, Tennessee. I have been working at this company for over three years and love my job. I believe what makes this company so great is my boss Matt Boyd, owner/ general manager.

Boyd has been married to his wife and co-owner Sandy for 32 years and they have two children, Audrey and max. Their children are grown and have blessed the family with two grandchildren, Emory and Summer.

Boyd grew up in Northeast Ohio and has also spent time in Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia, in his professional career. He completed one semester of college at The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. Boyd knew quickly that college was not for him and choose to chase a future differently. He wanted to own some form of his own business.

“I determined that I was not cut out for higher education. This gives me great respect and admiration for those that have achieved any form of a college degree,” according to Boyd.

Boyd and his wife worked in the corporate world for 20 years and soon decided that they wanted out of the hustle and bustle of that world. So, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee and became owners of Right at Home Nashville.

“We explored buying a company as well as executive roles.  Our primary focus was to find an existing small business that could not only support our family but also significantly improve the lives of the clients we served. After searching for a little over a year, we came across Right at Home and closed on the purchase in July 2010,” according to Boyd.

Boyd and his wife Sandy just celebrated owing Right at home for ten years in July in the height of a pandemic.

“Right at Home – Nashville is a non-medical home care provider.  We specialize in serving Davidson and Williamson counties with in-home care that primarily focuses on serving the senior and disabled communities.  Our home-care services include bathing, dressing, toileting, transfer, ambulation and medication reminders.  We also offer homemaker services that allow people to live in place, including light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, transportation and companionship,” according to Boyd.

Right at Home serves 100 clients and has over 150 caregivers. The company relies on caregivers to do their best for the clients because they are at 100 different locations. It would be impossible to have a supervisor at every location.

“Great caregivers are the key to our business, and they are hard to find,” according to Boyd.

“‘Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t you are probably right’” – Henry Ford. We live in a complex world, serving complex clients, with complex lives. We work extremely hard every day to make their lives better. On the days that it feels we can’t do anything right; I focus on the belief that we can resolve the issues because we have the right people on our team doing the right things every day,” according to Boyd.

This is a great industry to work and help people and it always helps to work with a great company.

“Life takes many unexpected turns. Whether it was my short-lived higher education, marrying the perfect business and life partner, or working 20+ years in management at a framing company, I could have never predicted or planned a path that led me to Right at Home-Nashville. Yet, we believe that this was all part of God’s plan to get us here, and we couldn’t have imagined a better place to live, better people to work with, and a more noble calling than serving the senior and disabled community,” according to Boyd.

Family makes me a better caregiver (final)

I am the caregiver that I am because of the people around me. I have always been proud of my children and now their children. While working on this blog that talks about why I am a caregiver, what I do daily and the extra moments with my clients I realized family is why.

As I care for these clients I think of my family and I am determined to treat them well, love them because my clients need family too.

So I felt sharing some pictures of the people I love the most was important so everyone could learn about me, Velma. The wife, mom and nene. I care for your family because family is the only thing that matters.

Monster trucks and relaxing with Tori (Final)

As a caregiver and mom, the most important thing I can do is have fun with my daughter, Tori.

We recently learned she loves anything that runs on gas and moves fast. Motocross, drag racing and the most recent find monster trucks.

Six days a week I care for other people’s family and in the evening I care for my daughter. So on day seven, I take care of just Tori. Some days that might look like washing her hair or filling a pillbox but today it’s cheering in the stands.

I love the moments where for a day or an hour she is just a girl that loves fast cars, not the sick girl that needs extra care. I will spend every day of my life being her caregiver and honestly your family’s caregiver as long as I can.

Life is still crazy

Covid-19 is still here along with all the mandates and changes. Working during this time has been a struggle for me.

I try to keep a good attitude and help my clients feel safe. I work hard to make the day seem as normal as possible.

Every morning I get to work at 8 a.m. and start my daily task such as dishes, sweeping, vacuuming and taking care of her cats while she sleeps in. After she wakes up it’s time to make breakfast. I try to make sure her meal has some fruit and is placed on the plate nicely.

Always time for a little T.V. and chatting about anything from her evening, the weather, or what her cats have been up to. By the way, her two cats are great and make my client smile on a daily basis.

We avoid the news and just move forward with bath time and getting up with the help of a Hoyer lift.

We finish our day with Let’s Make A Deal with Wayne Brady, she loves this show.

As I leave I hope that I have brightened her day just a little with a joke or picking a curtain on the big deal. Knowing that tomorrow I will be back to do it again.

Image found on Google.

Caregiver, Mom or BOTH?

I have been a caregiver in the professional world for almost 10 years. However i have been caregiver most of my life taking care of my mom, but I am most proud of taking care of my daughter.

Victoria ShyAnn Lowe, 23, amazing and smart. She also has been diagnosed with autism, cerbaly pasley, epilepsy and polymicrogyria. My girl has been sick her whole life so being her mom came with extra an task,protecting her and taking care of her medical needs.

I help her bath, wash her hair(she loves this the most), help with dental care and sometimes even button her pants. Some days she can do everything but on the bad days I am there to help her.

Tori, that is what we call her at home, loves to be in the kitchen. Cooking is scary since she has seizures but as her mom and caregiver I stay close while she learns to cook.

I love caring for other people but my favorite patient is my sweet daughter, Tori.

My Tori wearing a cap and gown that she earned. Photo provided by Velma Crochet.

Just another day of taking care of my clients.

Some days as a caregiver are simple . Today was one of them days. I did a little house keeping such as washing dishes, mopping the floor and making meals.

My lady enjoys a full breakfast so I scrambled eggs with cheese, fried some bacon up ( not too crunchy) and cut some fresh fruit. She also enjoys milk, a cold bottle of water and a glass of orange juice.

Eggs are healthy and offer many benefits such as protein. Breakfast starts the day off right and my lady loves a warm and healthy one.

I try to use lysol cleaners for the counters and the floor to make sure all germs are gone. I have also been wiping down appliances, door knobs and light switches. I try to clean more then the common areas to protect my clients.

Caregivers at this time are doing extra cleaning to protect the spread of COVID-19. STay safe.

Meal Prep for my clients.

Hi everyone I am back with some new great information to help my fellow caregivers.

I have a client that can not cook for himself and would rather meals to be prepared weekly. Sometimes clients have anxiety worrying about their meals so we as caregivers try to ease their minds.

Meal prep is defined as concept of preparing whole meals or dishes ahead of schedule. In the case of my client we usually prepare at least enough for one week.

The meals are usually simple meals where all ingredients are in one pot, like a hamburger helper.I always put fresh vegetables, protein and of course a starch such as pasta.

My most recent meal prep had beef meat cubed that I fired down to make its own gravy from the meat. I also browned some onions and mushrooms ( his favorite) with the meat. I also peeled a few potatoes and cut them in bite-size pieces. I boiled the potatoes and broccoli together until both are tinder.

After all ingredients are done I place them in large pot and simmer for 15 minutes.So the flavors can blend and make the best meal for my client.

Hot and bubbly waiting to be eaten ,picture by Velma Crochet.

I will put a good amount in each lidded bowl so he gets a full belly every night. So for the next week, his food is ready, till next Sunday where I will make anew fresh meal for my client.

Bowled and ready for the week, picture by Velma Crochet.

Fresh AIR and a few steps make the day better.

While everyone is quarantined during the COVID-19 medical pandemic I have been helping my clients get a little exercise safely by taking small walks outside.

As we all enter the new normal of stuck at home and not being able to go anywhere some of my clients have started getting bored and sore from less activity. So I have been going outside on these beautiful days and walking around in their yard or down the road while keeping a healthy distance to protect them.

Stop and smell the flowers, picture provided by goggle

Seniors gain many benefits from walking here is a small list:

  • Improves heart health. For seniors, walking offers numerous heart health benefits. Getting your heart rate up daily leads to a reduction in the risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and even coronary heart disease.
  • Lowers blood sugar. After eating, taking a 15-minute walk has been shown to reduce the after-eating spike in blood sugar some seniors can experience. Your body is using blood sugar more effectively to strengthen muscles, and insulin works better, too.
  • Reduces pain. Studies have shown that walking helps reduce some pain due to chronic conditions like arthritis. Some seniors experience lower back pain, and walking even just three times a week for around 20 minutes can help strengthen abdominal and back muscles to decrease chronic back pain.
  • Low participation cost. After you’ve invested in a good, sturdy pair of shoes, you can walk basically anywhere- for free! When the weather permits, head to the park for a stroll on the path or simply walk around your neighborhood. If it’s too cold or rainy to go outside, head to a shopping mall instead.
  • Promotes social engagement. Walking offers an easy way for seniors to meet up with others, whether you join a walking group with friends or simply engage with neighbors while out on your daily walk. You can meet new people and enjoy your environment each day.
  • Boosts mental health. A daily walk can help you feel more positive about life. The endorphins released during physical activity create a sense of well-being, reduce anxiety and boost your mood.

Grapes make a great breakfast

I enjoy making meals for my clients. Their meals are comprised of items from their refrigerator and pantry. As a caregiver, you hope the choices they make are healthy. I have a client that loves her moring meal the most.

Bagels, oatmeal, grapes, and apples are just a few of the client’s healthy choices. Every day that I take care of her, my first question when she wakes up is” What are we eating today?”.

Many of the clients I help would make healthier choices but they can’t afford it. Living on a small fixed income translates to empty fridges and pantry. I enjoy coming to the client’s homes and cooking for them.

picture taken by me of a healthy meal for a special lady.
Another example of healthy meal, picture taken by me.

WASH YOUR HANDS

COVID-19 is only one of many illnesses that can affect the elderly. A great way to combat the germs is to wash your hands often with antibacterial soap, any brand. The client and the caregiver should both be washing their hands.

There are five steps to washing your hands.

Step 1- Wet your hands completely under running clean WARM water. Then add some soap to both hands, I prefer antibacterial soap such as dial.

Step 2- Lather the soap very well, covering your hands, wrist, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

Step 3- Hands should be scrubbed for at least 20 seconds, as you scrub the grime, dirt, and germs will loosen. My granddaughters sing their ABC’s while they clean their hands just to make it fun.

Step 4- Rinse your hands really good getting all the soap and grim off. Drowning the germs away as we protect ourselves, families and clients as the COVID-19 runs amuck.

Step 5- Dry both hands very well with a fresh towel or paper towel. Try to not touch faucets and doorknobs as you exit the bathroom.

Please wash your hands often and correctly to fight Covid-19 and many other illnesses to protect everyone. I am working with clients everyday and washing my hands several times a day. We are washing our hands when we get to the home when we leave the home, in between different care and to be honest sometimes just because it has been a little while.

Until next time be safe and wash your hands.

Just a colorful reminder to wash the germs away, picture provided by goggle image.
Five steps to clean hands. Picture provided by goggle image.