Bev is our November Employee of the Month!

Meet Bev Gooden, our Employee of the Month for November.

Bev’s managers say she is a wonderful and outstanding Senior Companion to her clients. We asked Bev what it’s like to work for Seniors for Seniors and this is what she had to say:

1. How did you hear about Seniors for Seniors and why did you decide to join the company?

Back in November 2017 a staff member at my bank and I were talking and I mentioned that I wanted to work part-time instead of full-time by the spring of 2018. She mentioned that her mom was enjoying taking seniors to appointments and meeting interesting people.

I went on Google and searched "jobs for seniors.” Seniors for Seniors came up. After reading about the company, I decided to send in my resume.

2. What is your favorite companion/caregiver experience or story?

There is a lady I visit who stays in bed a lot. She doesn't like living in the nursing home at all. Tonight when I got there the first thing she said is that she will soon be leaving the home and that she wasn't happy there. I sat down and pulled out my phone to show her a picture of a baby goat I had recently been caring for in Jamaica.

I told her the story of how I had to use a baby bottle to feed him as his mother couldn't. She loved the story so much she sat up and said "you know there are people out there who would like to hear this.” I said let’s go for a walk then. I got her into her chair and we wheeled around and she kept calling people over to see the picture of the baby goat and I would tell the story. One health care worker actually commented "you got her out of bed.” After interacting with so many people she started to feel much better about the place, saying this is a nice place where everyone is so sweet.

I didn’t realize that a shared picture of a baby goat would have such a positive result. I wish I could tell the goat (Leo) how he played a part with helping this lady.

3. How has Seniors for Seniors benefited your clients?

Seniors for Seniors clients can feel confident that there is a combination of structure and reliability combined with empathy and true caring from our Senior Companions.

4. How has being a Senior Companion enriched your life?

Being a Senior Companion has helped me look outside myself to recognize the needs of a person and deep within myself to find the resources to meet that need. And tonight with the lady, I just let go and allowed the moment to flow. I let the moment take on a life of its own.

Want to learn more about being a Senior Companion? You can visit our employment page here.