Spotlight on Service:
CAREGiver Sheila Wilson
To say Sheila Wilson “knows people” is an understatement. A CAREGiver at Home Instead Senior Care for
two years, her route to the profession was a circuitous one.
In fact, it was only after years spent abroad that she returned to her native Reading and, after caring for her Mother, wanted to give back.
Sheila worked as a volunteer at St. Joseph’s hospital at the
welcome desk and saw an advertisement for CAREGivers.
The part-time schedule and her experience caring for her
mother made the job appealing. And, said Sheila, “when I
started working at Home Instead, I enjoyed it more than I
thought I would.”
Before becoming a CAREGiver, Sheila spent many years
working for the government, starting in Washington, DC at
the Commission on Civil Rights and ending at the US embassy in Nairobi serving as the Office Management Specialist for the Deputy Chief of Missions (the second in command). In between, Sheila served at embassies in Bolivia,
Guiana, Morocco and the Philippines. (Sheila was stationed
at the Nairobi Embassy during the 1998 bombing.) Among
her greatest gifts from the experience are her sons Ali and
Emmanuel whom she adopted from Morocco.
Of the experience, Sheila said “I was fortunate enough to
live in a country where I could learn a culture, enjoy their
food and meet dignitaries who came through our embassies.” That list of dignitaries includes Madeline Albright,
Colin Powell, Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Carter and Hillary Clinton.
Sheila’s voracious note taking and strong organizational
skills were assets to her CAREGiving, she said. Arguably,
her time overseas also taught the ability to bond with others
easily. Her curiosity and sense of value in those she meets
lend themselves to CAREGiving. She also found the concept of allowing seniors to stay in their homes, surroundings
Spotlight on Service is published by Home Instead Senior Care-Berks County. If you would like more information about our services,
please e-mail [email protected] or call 610-372-2500. Visit us on the web at www.homeinstead.com/554.
To us it’s personal.
they’re most comfortable in, refreshing and positive.
Time spent with her clients is enjoyable to Sheila as she enjoys the stories they
share. Often she has found that bringing out a photograph can stir memories with her
clients and engage them in conversation. “Some are so fragile, but their minds are
still good. I especially enjoy their stories about old Reading because I grew up here
and remember some of the same things,” she noted.
When working in hospice care, Sheila provides empathy for the family she’s working
with. “You know that eventually that person is going to pass and the family is going to
lose a loved one,” she said. “You have to give them some confidence that it will be
okay.”
While not her first profession, Sheila has learned quickly the skills she feels make a
great CAREGiver: patience, caring, understanding and love. “Patience is at the top of
the CAREGiver list; you need to have patience with a senior citizen. You must have
caring and understanding as to where the client is and why they’re there. And love—
you must love your client as if it was your own family member.”
As she offers her ‘tools of the trade,’ Sheila fondly remembered a client who tested
her. Said Sheila, “one client of mine was very set in her ways and it was hard to get
her into a routine. She said to me ‘I know I should be doing things a certain way.’
Then, she took my hand, gently kissed it, and with tears said, ‘please understand.’”
CAREGiving has shown Sheila a lot of understanding in the past two years. She will
also tell you it’s taught her to be patient, caring, and empathetic and to listen better
and pay attention more. “I’m doing something where I’m helping people,” she said.
“I’m making sure my clients are safe in their own home or their own surroundings.”
For Sheila Wilson, CAREGiving was a way to give back. What she never anticipated
was how much CAREGiving would give to her.
Home Instead Senior Care-Berks County
2213 Quarry Drive, Suite 102
West Lawn, PA 19609
To learn more about the award-winning services provided by Home Instead Senior Care-Berks County, please contact our office at
610-372-2500 or visit us on line at www.homeinstead.com/554.