All Stories

IN HER OWN WORDS: Okesha Reese, IHSS provider

“(After training), I began to look at the consumer differently. Now if I’m helping them eat or use the bathroom, I try to be respectful and do everything in my power to preserve their dignity. The value of this is more than something you feel in your heart. It also builds trust and allows for better communication among the team… What I learned with CLTCEC training and on the job is to find ways to take initiative. I don’t show up at my shift like a robot and go through the same motions. I’ll ask my stepmother if there’s something she’d like to do differently today. Do more than what’s on paper, you might say. Like we’ll sit on the porch or go outside a few steps if she’s feeling up to it. It might not sound like much, getting some sun and fresh air. But you should see the light in her eyes.”

Sandra is proof that it’s never too late to look for a new calling.

She was raised in Pomona, where her family had a successful garment business. Following in her father’s footsteps, Sandra worked as an executive in the garment industry for over thirty years before seeking out what she wanted next in life.

When Sandra retired, she began tutoring and giving in-home care. And what she found was so much more than a new calling. She found a way to help and uplift others while working as a caregiver— a way to spread joy. And a way to receive it as well.

“What I enjoy most is when I can see that it’s effective and that I’m making an impact on someone else’s life. I’m bringing joy. I’m bringing light. I’m supporting their independence.”

Sandra said the caregiver training she received from the Center for Caregiver Advancement had empowered her in her role. It not only helps her give better care but also better value herself and the generous work she does. 

“We really have to understand that we are important, number one, in the work that we do. And number two, we don’t know it all. We must stay abreast, and we must continue to educate ourselves. We can feel positive about what we’re doing because we know we’re doing it correctly,” she said.

This new path, and the caregiver training she has received, have brought new meaning and happiness to Sandra’s life. And those around her are taking notice.

“The joy that I carry is contagious. I’m active in my church as well. [They] have defined me as director of health and safety. So it definitely plunged me into a broader perspective, just even in my life, period.”

Lorena Sandoval was born in Mexico and grew up in Long Beach, California. She’s had to overcome a number of hurdles from an early age. At 16, she left home and was homeless before being taken in by a relative. At 18, she had her first child before welcoming another three along.

She worked in the kitchen in nursing homes and then worked as a housekeeper before taking the leap to become  the leap a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

“I thought it’s now or never. It was really hard because I didn’t have much schooling, but I didn’t want to let my kids down, and I wasn’t going to let myself down.” Lorena said.

The Education Fund and Local SEIU 2015 representatives wouldn’t give up on Lorena either. They kept encouraging her to take the CNA training program and continue building her skill set as a caregiver.

“They kept telling us, ‘Don’t give up.’ It’s almost like it was personal to them that we reach our goals,” she said. “I’m so grateful.” Lorena learned not just how to become a CNA but to believe in herself again.

“Everything I learn, I hold on to it like the most precious thing I have,” Lorena said.

While building up her experience as a CNA, she challenged herself to keep learning. First, enrolling in the Restorative Nursing Assistant certification class, then taking advantage of the mental health and wellness workshops. Now, not only can she take better care of her patients, but she’s also able to take better care of herself.

“I love what I do with all my heart. I love working in nursing homes with the elderly. I love making them and my co-workers laugh,” she said.

Through the caregiver training she’s received from the Center for Caregiver Advancement and the Ed Fund, Lorena has built a better life for her family and proven to herself that she can achieve so much more than she imagined.

“As for dreams, I would love to do home health and become an LVN. I want to take advantage of life and what is given to me,” she said. “I want to prove to myself that I can do better.

In the world of caregiving, being able to properly help seniors and people with disabilities with simple activities of daily living can make a world of difference. For caregiver Jennifer Davis, it means giving the people you’re caring for “a lifestyle that allows them to feel like they have a life worth living.”

Davis was one of more than 300 In-Home Support Services (IHSS) providers who recently completed CLTCEC’s IHSS+ caregiver training program. The training’s curriculum covers essential caregiving skills such as nutrition, safety, medication, and personal care.

 Davis said that one of the most important sections of the training revolved around navigating activities that typically require manual dexterity. The module turned out to be critical information she needed to care for her partner, who is quadriplegic. “I learned how to properly assist with her medication. It was important to the two of us – being able to help her handle the meds in her hands and help her put it in her own mouth,” Davis said.

For Annie Gibson, who has been a caregiver for 20 years, the training opened her eyes to other things she could do to make life more comfortable for the people under her care. In the module dedicated to nutrition and diet, she learned about assistive devices that can help a person eat.

 “It was instrumental for me to learn how to use the modified utensils for eating, especially for my client who is in hospice,” Gibson said. She also made sure her client’s family knew how to use the tools to continue the standard of care when she’s not around. “I showed her son how to use the plate, spoon, and the attachment to the plate to help them push the food around.”

Training like this is “absolutely important so caregivers know the proper tools and techniques to do their jobs,” said Davis. “It provides uniformity for all providers so we can say to our clients, ‘This is how we were properly trained. We work with you and work for you.’ That’s important for them to recognize.”