Caregiver of the month, Amy Dirks, has been a caregiver with A Place At Home for almost three years. She was nominated after going the extra mile to ensure shifts were covered. If she couldn’t do it herself, she made arrangements for someone else to cover them.
Amy has been a caregiver for two decades. After leaving a career as a high school teacher to follow her passion for taking care of others. It’s a passion she comes by honestly. Growing up, her mother was an LPN at a nursing home, taking care of the senior residents there, as well as Amy and her seven siblings. When Amy was 15, her mother’s care extended to encompass Amy’s grandparents, also.
Like her mother before her, Amy has found herself caring for a family member. She spent two years driving over two hours away from her home each weekend to care for her brother, who has recently passed away after his battle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It was important to her brother that anyone caring for him was formally trained to do so. It was important for Amy to be able to care for her brother, so she did the training necessary to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Amy’s sense of responsibility to those in her charge is nothing short of remarkable. When she found out that one of her clients needed care overnight on Easter, Amy was quick to step in, sharing that she couldn’t stand the thought of them laying in bed all night without anyone to attend to their care. Never mind that it was a holiday, and last minute. Amy’s response was, “I’m taking this on myself in case something happens. They come before a lot of my personal needs”.
“Amy is an incredible asset to the A Place At Home family. Not only is she always willing to pick up shifts last minute to help out, but she is always a pleasure to work with. Amy treats all her clients like family and perfectly exemplifies our CARE philosophy.” said Kris Perkins, A Place At Home – Omaha’s Executive Director.
Amy has a similar regard for A Place At Home, her appreciation for the support she receives from her employer even more evident in the midst of a global pandemic. “I have felt comfortable. Anytime I need something they’re willing to meet me to get supplies. Whatever I need, I know I’m taken care of. I feel that I’m in the right place.”
Make no mistake, events in today’s world have had an impact on Amy. She’s grateful to still be working, sharing, “COVID-19 impacted me 100%. I can’t go into facilities now so I don’t endanger my clients. I have confidence we are all taking the same precautions to not spread it. It takes everyone to get through this.”
We are grateful for Amy’s dedication to her clients, and for her approach to caregiving, which she says comes from a book she read as a child titled, There’s Always Room for One More, the story of a Scottish man who welcomes anyone in need into his heart and home, regardless of how full his house becomes. Amy feels the same way about her role caring for others: “There’s always room for one more person that needs help to bed at night. No matter what the call is, I do it.”
Interested in becoming a caregiver?
Does Amy’s story resonate with you? Apply for a job with A Place at Home today and join the ranks of essential personnel that are so desperately needed, where they are needed – in the lives and homes of seniors in the Omaha community! Consider becoming a caregiver and apply to join our team today.