Home attendants vs. Nursing home
Team Spotlight on: Cheryl McCain
Cheryl McCain may be the most experienced senior caregiver Always Best Care Senior Services of Chester County has ever had. An ABC caregiver since June 2017, Cheryl has also been a caregiver in a nursing home facility for 22 years.
"For me, it's a positive thing to help people who need help. Someone has to do it, and this is what I have chosen to do," said Cheryl, who is a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
She noted that sometimes people ask her if she wishes she was a nurse, but her answer is an emphatic "No."
"I so much prefer to be hands-on with the elderly. Many older people are lonely, and I make them feel loved," Cheryl said.
While she enjoys caregiving in a nursing home setting, the rewards are greater in the home care setting. Cheryl noted that the pace is slower in a home, and she can focus on the needs of just one patient.
"In home care, it is truly one-on-one, and I can sit down and talk more with the senior. It's calmer, and you can get to know the senior better. In a nursing facility, you might have 8 to 10 patients, and your attention is very scattered," Cheryl explained.
She noted that working with the ABC staff is more relaxed, as well: "I can pick my own hours, and if I am not the best match for a senior, I can request another case. It's very relaxing, there is not a lot of tension or stress."
Cheryl finds that some people have a negative view of working with seniors, and this puzzles her.
"I don't find senior caregiving to be hard at all. People just don't understand the elderly. It just
Cheryl McCain may be the most experienced senior caregiver Always Best Care Senior Services of Chester County has ever had. An ABC caregiver since June 2017, Cheryl has also been a caregiver in a nursing home facility for 22 years.
"For me, it's a positive thing to help people who need help. Someone has to do it, and this is what I have chosen to do," said Cheryl, who is a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
She noted that sometimes people ask her if she wishes she was a nurse, but her answer is an emphatic "No."
"I so much prefer to be hands-on with the elderly. Many older people are lonely, and I make them feel loved," Cheryl said.
While she enjoys caregiving in a nursing home setting, the rewards are greater in the home care setting. Cheryl noted that the pace is slower in a home, and she can focus on the needs of just one patient.
"In home care, it is truly one-on-one, and I can sit down and talk more with the senior. It's calmer, and you can get to know the senior better. In a nursing facility, you might have 8 to 10 patients, and your attention is very scattered," Cheryl explained.
She noted that working with the ABC staff is more relaxed, as well: "I can pick my own hours, and if I am not the best match for a senior, I can request another case. It's very relaxing, there is not a lot of tension or stress."
Cheryl finds that some people have a negative view of working with seniors, and this puzzles her.
"I don't find senior caregiving to be hard at all. People just don't understand the elderly. It just