Spotlight on Caregivers

Posted on: 2014 05 26

Each month or so we would like to dedicate a blog to the incredible caregivers who give their hearts and souls to our clients each and everyday. They are out in the community making a difference by sharing the compassion and skills they have for caring for our seniors and allowing them to age in place.      Joyce Huff Joyce has been with Armistead for nearly 4 years and enjoyed a varied career in Vermont non-profit management before the transition to semi-retirement.  When Joyce's mom became ill with dementia, Joyce wanted to do something different with her life and find a way to honor her mother's memory.  Joyce took training at The Arbors, an assisted living facility in Shelburne for people with various forms of dementia.  Through her training, Joyce learned about this illness and how it can affect both residents and their families.  Joyce was then shown how to engage residents in various individual and group activities that enhanced the quality of their lives.  These activities coupled with appropriate physical exercise, helped residents maintain relationships with caregivers, staff, family and friends for an extended period of time. In addition to a team care work environment at The Arbors, Joyce was also attracted to home care and a variety of clients with different needs.  While exploring the many companies that provide home services, Joyce found Armistead to be the best in terms of management, ongoing training and education, caregiver/client support, and professional staff.  "Any time I come into the office, everyone I talk to is interested in helping me or finding someone who can.  More important, I feel welcome!  The staff are also very timely in responding to phone and email communications, which I appreciate.  What really impresses me is how accommodating they are with regard to our schedules, and concern they have for helping caregivers maintain their own personal health. Plus, social gatherings provide opportunities to get acquainted with each other as well as with management.  At Armistead, I feel valued as an employee and as a person."