Did You Know? September 22nd is Dear Diary Day

Journaling the Home Care Services Experience in Northbrook, IL

It took some time getting used to, but Janet found that providing home care services was a rewarding experience for her. This wasn’t a job that she had ever dreamed he would do, but when she had been there for her elderly grandmother after her stroke, she found that there were a lot of benefits to this type of profession.

Many days it was very difficult for her to overcome stress that she was feeling. During her first several months as an in-home care provider, she was overwhelmed by so many things that she didn’t know and had to learn. She decided to work for an agency, but they didn’t provide her with very much training. Most of what she learned she did on the job.

During those first several months, she found the stress was taking a toll on her health and well-being. She talked to friends and even her mother, but that didn’t help all that much. Janet was a writer and decided to try keeping a diary. She hadn’t kept a diary since she was a teenage girl and found the process to be a little awkward at first.

The first few entries were rather timid. She basically wrote the facts about what she did during the day to help her grandmother. She would go to her grandmother’s house, make sure that the dishes were clean and that the laundry was done, she might help take her grandmother to the store or to a Doctor’s appointment, or prepare a meal for her. That was about the extent of the notes she took as an in-home care service provider for her grandmother.

After a week or so, she began to write down all of her thoughts, including the frustrations that she had, the questions that came across her mind, and the concerns she discovered for her grandmother’s well-being.

Over time, she discovered that journaling was a great way to not only gather the entire experience of home care services, but to also learn from her own mistakes and insecurities.

Today, Janet has been providing home care services to a number of elderly clients for more than three years and she continues to journal every single day. Often her journal consists of the same information that she wrote down when she was caring for her grandmother.

Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, journaling can be a great way to really discover yourself through home care services. September 22 is Dear Diary Day, so even if you haven’t kept a diary since you were young, now is a great time to start all over again.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring home care services in Northbrook IL,  -contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our senior care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro