“I became interested in caregiving in high school when my teacher asked me to help at the senior citizens prom at our local community center. Although I was initially hesitant, I decided to go through with it. It was so rewarding to be able to share such enjoyment with older folks in our community as a seventeen-year-old. It opened my eyes, and by the end of the night, I felt a change–like there was a spot for me in the world. Immediately after I graduated from high school, I began working at a local nursing home, and over the next seven years I also obtained two nursing licenses: an LNA and MA. From there, I worked in nursing homes and rehabilitation. I switched to home care when my son was born, working for a variety of companies.
My son had a serious head injury in September of 2017, which changed our lives. The company I worked for was not very supportive during the times when I had to be at home, but the family I was working for was. They kept in touch and were accommodating when I returned to work. They encouraged me to be independent, so I applied for my license to be an independent caregiver in the community and did that for three years.
When covid hit, all independent caregivers were removed from the building where I had worked. I felt lost and devastated. They gave us the choice to either work for a company or start our own agency. Challenge accepted! It was a long process, but I obtained my agency license. For the last year, I have been focusing on hiring experienced staff.
I have a wonderful memory of a client who I worked with for years. We were outside and I handed him a dandelion. He asked what to do, and I told him to make a wish and blow. I took a video of this, and it ended up being the last video we had of him, because he passed soon after. It’s the little things you get to do that you don’t really think about in our everyday lives that make it fun for them–the simple things that we take for granted.
My goal is to make a difference, whether it is for the caregiver or for the client. It comes differently for everyone, but when you enjoy what you do, it’s not work–it’s easy to show up and do what you love.”
– Christina Moodie, Canaan, NH
