Caregiver Corner
Some mornings she gets up at 4 am to get herself ready. She walks to the bus stop and patiently waits to get to Mrs. M., a woman she’s been caring for. Mrs. M. is bed bound, she can’t get up to fix herself breakfast or even brush her teeth. Olympia assists her with all these ADL’s, activities of daily living and helps her laugh a little because Olympia is funny and has a natural knack when it comes to making people feel at ease and comfortable. She’s been one of our star caregivers for the past 2 years. She seldom complains about the hard work and long hours. She comes into the office all smiles and even with food for the office staff at times. I had the pleasure of asking her about herself and discovered there is much more than meets the eye.
ABS: How long have you been with ABS?
OL: I’ve been with ABS a little over two years. I started in November of 2015. I heard of ABS from my grandmother. She was one of Lia’s first employees.
ABS: What are some of the things you love outside of caregiving?
OL: Learning Italian was always one of my dreams so when I started college I took it as my foreign language. I studied it for two years. I’ve always liked music, especially boys’ bands, so in my teen years, I was into NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. I would occasionally watch international music videos where they would show KPOP acts so I was hooked to the catchy tunes instantly. I was reintroduced to KPOP by my teen sisters and it gave us an opportunity to bond and get closer during our parents’ divorce so it was fun and a bit of escapism to “girl-out” to our favorite groups BTS, a septet boy group, and EXO, two of Korean’s top boy bands. South Korea is going having a real popular streak in recent years with all things pop culture from food to fashion, tv, movies and of course music. It was a place we wanted to visit so last March my sisters and younger brother, as well as my friend Alejandra, went to Seoul and Tokyo for two weeks. It was so nice and clean. South Korea and Tokyo are two of the safest places in the world, so we felt very secure walking around and being tourists.
ABS: You can work in any industry, less intensive work for more pay, why caregiving?
OL: Before being a caregiver, I worked K-12 in schools. I’ve worked kindergarten, middle school, and high school and I’ve also worked in group homes, so this was a natural transition. I just have the patience for it and I really love helping people of all ages.
ABS: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
OL: In ten years I don’t know where I see myself yet. I want to get more schooling and better my employment prospects. My first year working at ABS I got to travel to NYC and go to a KPOP convention. That was my first time on a plane. Since then, I’ve traveled to Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Mexico City, and I’m about to leave for London, Paris, and Amsterdam in two weeks! I’m so thankful for Lia and all her hard working ladies, and Kurt too.
