Caring for the elderly can be challenging, but the home health aides who work for Mainstay’s Home-Based Supportive Services Program say their work is equally rewarding.
The Spencer team consists of seven staff members, including Home Health Aides (HHA) and nurses. They are busy seven days a week caring for seniors in five towns: Leicester, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge and Webster.
The team performs various tasks such as:
- Care management
- Consultation with medical professionals
- Assistance with daily personal care
- Meal preparation
- Assistance with laundry
- Cleaning and general housekeeping
- Assistance with grocery or other personal shopping
“Our goal is to help seniors stay in their apartments and live as independently as possible, as long as possible,” said Senior Program Manager Kim Belford. “We’ve had a lot of our seniors for over five years now, and I think a lot of them would have ended up in long-term care by now if not for our team.”
A 2024 Forbes Magazine article found that 92% of adults surveyed said they would prefer to live out their later years in their current homes, with only 8% saying they would prefer to live in assisted living.
The HHAs also provide companionship for the seniors they visit—an aspect of the job they say is priceless.
“When you’ve been with the same people after a number of years, they almost treat you like family,” said HHA Janet Kelley. “I really love being part of their lives and helping them out as much as I can.”
Kelley says that each senior she cares for is unique and special. “There’s never a dull moment. There’s always some humor added into every visit. You have to remember that this is their world and their life. How would you feel if someone came to your house on a daily basis? I try to make it about what they want from the visit.”
HHA Bonnie Berthiaume sees four or five seniors in an average workday.
“I like the clients a lot,” said Berthiaume. “It’s nice to be able to help people stay in their homes and bring them a sense of peace and calm as well as helping them through their daily chores and things they can’t handle for themselves. It’s very rewarding and most of them are very, very thankful and grateful. This is a very gratifying job.”
The Spencer team is made up of:
- Christine Ballam
- Bonnie Berthiaume
- Debra Hague
- Tanya Kay
- Janet Kelley
- Eunice Bonsu, RN
- Elizabeth Eskola, RN
- Kim Belford, Senior Program Manager
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