July 15, 2019 | Blog, Caregiver Support, Employment, In-Home Care
Wesbury at Home: A Companion’s Story
For 25 years, Joetta Robison had an office job working in accounts payable. After she retired, she would frequently spend time visiting with her cousin, who was a nursing home resident. Joetta liked seeing her cousin and especially enjoyed talking with the other residents who would often perk up with just a simple, “Hello! How are you doing today?”
After retirement, Joetta felt the need to get out and do more with her days. It was a friend who was working for Wesbury at Home who recommended to Joetta about taking on a few hours a week as a Companion for seniors living in their home. That was four years ago.
Since that time, Joetta’s commitment to caring for seniors in their homes has only increased. “When I started working for Wesbury at Home I was working eight hours a week, which equaled a couple of hours visiting with a couple different clients each week,” remarks Joetta. “I liked that Wesbury at Home was able to schedule my visits around my availability, and eventually, I started to add more of my time each week to clients, and today I work close to 25 hours per week, sometimes more, if I can.”
“Joetta has been just wonderful,” notes Barbara Green, Wesbury at Home Companion Client. “Joetta comes for four hours per week. We like to laugh together, and she does anything I need. She helps me around my apartment with cleaning or laundry; we go shopping. She even helps out with working my cell phone! It doesn’t feel like she has been working with me for three years because we have become such good friends. If I am down when she comes over, I am not when she leaves.”
Joetta says she receives a sense of fulfillment in working with her clients and their families. “They are so thankful,” she says, adding, “it is important to follow their lead in what they want to do with their time.” If a client needs to go to a doctor’s appointment or stop at the grocery store, Joetta can do that. If a client needs some help straightening up their house or apartment, she can do that too.