Caregiver Spotlight
In celebration of National Home Care Month this November, we are highlighting a few of our amazing Messiah Lifeways® At Home Caregivers. Join us in honoring these compassionate caregivers that play an invaluable role for clients as companions and friends. Learn a little more about them and why being a caregiver is so important to them. Thank you for all that you do!
Jonathan Campos-Cruz
“I am so blessed to be an At Home Caregiver, and I am honored to be a voice for our caregivers.
Jonathan has been a caregiver for the past 8 years and has been a caregiver with Messiah Lifeways At Home for the last year and a half. “Home Care is an ever-changing occupation/industry and I enjoy the variety it brings, but the one thing that is never-changing is the opportunity to hear client stories. Through their stories, I get to walk through their lives–families, jobs, travels–I hear about it all. Their memories are gifts to me, and I am so thankful for it.”
Jonathan also enjoys the unique opportunities that working for At Home offers. “I can confidently say that in my entire time working as an At Home caregiver, I’ve never had the same week twice. Being able to see many different clients, sometimes up to five in a single day, keeps the job interesting.” In addition to being an At Home caregiver, Jonathan is also a Nursing student which can sometimes be challenging to juggle. “A major benefit of working for At Home is the flexibility. Whether you are a morning, evening, overnight person, or someone with children, At Home has something that will fit your schedule.”
Rebecca Crosley
“I cannot think of a greater act of service than in helping to bathe, clothe, or feed someone who cannot do those those things themselves.”
Rebecca has been a caregiver with Messiah Lifeways At Home for a little over a month. She is currently a senior at Messiah University studying to become an Occupational Therapist. “I felt a pull to become a caregiver once Covid hit because I wanted to do my part in caring for those who are most vulnerable. I thought it would give me the opportunity to be a positive light in people’s lives especially during these hard times, and would provide valuable experience for me as a student.”
What Rebecca likes most about being an At Home Caregiver is how rewarding it is. She loves the feeling of satisfaction she gets knowing that the work she is doing helps improve the quality of life for her clients. “Becoming a caregiver has, in turn, provided me with some valuable life lessons. I have learned not to take life’s little pleasures for granted. Simply sitting with clients, hearing their stories, listening to the birds, playing cards, or working on a puzzle together have been some of my most favorite moments.”
Larina Good
“Being a caregiver is so rewarding! I enjoy getting to know each client and being able to help them while visiting with them.”
Larina has been a caregiver with At Home for a little over a month. One of the main reasons she was interested in becoming a caregiver was so that she could help older adults stay in their homes and continue to live independently. In addition to being an At Home caregiver, Larina is also a student at Messiah University in the Masters of Occupational Therapy program. “This job has been so flexible and helpful to me as a student! Messiah Lifeways encourages me as a student and works with my schedule so that I can still put my studies first. I love this job in terms of my schooling because I get hands-on experience that coordinates with my studies as a future Occupational Therapist.”
Larina loves how rewarding her job is. “You really get to connect with your clients and learn so much from them just by listening to all of their fascinating stories. I am so happy that I found this job, and I am so grateful for the lessons that it has taught me, even just one month in.”
Bob Bartels
“Being an At Home Transportation Assistant is like driving around a history lesson and learning about people and events before my time.”
Bob has been a Transportation Assistant with Messiah Lifeways At Home for over 1 ½ years and has enjoyed all the new people he has been able to meet. His background includes 7 years in the Navy, 12 years with Wycliffe as a helicopter pilot in Papua, New Guinea, and 21 years as a teacher in the Mechanicsburg School District. When he finished teaching, he was looking for an opportunity to meet new people and found this with At Home. He loves driving the residents to appointments and hearing their stories during the ride. “They never complain and teach me about what life was like for them and their parents. They share stories from The Great Depression, WWII, and even before that as they recall stories they heard from their parents about WWI.” Bob shared that he even missed a turn once as he was so engrossed in the story he was hearing!
Besides enjoying the drives with the residents, he also enjoys his work with Tammy and the At Home administration. “They have always been kind to me and patient with my mistakes.” Bob is happy to be giving to the community as an At Home transportation assistant and feels as though he is getting so much in return. He feels that history needs to be shared, and he values his time with the residents as they share their history.
Amity Spangler
“It has been great being an At Home Caregiver. Being able to build my own schedule around my children and my classes has really helped a lot.”
Amity has been in caregiving for over ten years, and has been a part of Messiah Lifeways At Home for the past 3 ½ years. She has been appreciative of the flexibility of her work schedule, having started with At Home as part-time, going to full-time, and now back to part-time. Amity is working around school schedules of 5 children, ranging in age from 5-13. She is also a student, so she has her own class schedule to consider, as well.
Amity has always loved taking care of people and putting smiles on their faces. She loves the one-on-one of being a caregiver, hearing their stories and learning from them. Her advice to someone considering this career is to not be intimidated and to treat them like a friend or grandparent. She has enjoyed the recipes that have been shared with her, and she has learned some new cooking techniques. An interesting tip she received was on how to get a burned cooking pot clean by letting it soak with a little water and a dryer sheet. Amity will continue to learn from those she helps as a Messiah Lifeways At Home caregiver and will continue to put smiles on their faces, as well!
If you are interested in learning more about Messiah Lifeways At Home call 717.790.8209. If you’re interested in becoming an At Home Caregiver or Transportation Assistant, visit the Careers page or call 717.790.8228.