Home Care Instructor Christy Narvaez has an infectious enthusiasm felt by learners and clients alike.
Christy, also an advanced training graduate, says empathy is key to doing her job well.
“In my work, in our classroom, in the home of my client, Mrs. M., I can tell you that empathy is everywhere,” Christy says. “For without empathy, there is no care.”
Christy has been growing her caregiving skills since she began in 2004.
“When I started as a home care aide, we would go to the client’s home without knowing anything. We only had the willingness to help and that was it,” she says. “Now, we have training, and the skills we need to face the challenges that will come as we work with our clients in the community.”
Christy says the most helpful advanced skills she has learned in training was how to assist a person with a disability up and down the stairs and how to manage clients.
“You cannot be afraid of invading personal space and also your own personal spaces,” Christy says. “It’s a hands-on job. It’s like you’re protecting your client, but at the same time letting the client do the most that they can for themselves.”
Home Care Instructor Christy Narvaez, from Edmonds, WA., prepares her cactus salad recipe for her daughter Kristel, also a caregiver and biochemistry major at the University of Washington.
(Photo by Paul Joseph Brown)
Best of all, Christy says she gained new friendships in the classroom. Many of the women from her advanced training program have stayed in touch and try to go on monthly outings.
Christy moved to Washington in 2000 from Patzcuaro, Mexico. She loves her hometown. “Everybody knows everybody. My grandmother knows the grandmother of my friends.”
Home for Christy is now Edmonds, Wa., where she lives with her husband and three children.
Christy has been caring for her current client, Mrs. M., for four years. She knew when she met her they would do well together. “She’s so nice. She has this great personality and she’s so funny,” Christy says. “She has a great daughter and we have a good team.”
Christy has learned over time when a client will be a good fit. “After years of being a caregiver I learned before I take a client, I go to their homes to visit and to see how they live.” Experience has taught her that smoking and hoarding in a household are deal-breakers.
Christy has not slowed down after finishing her advanced training. She soon became a home care instructor for SEIU 775 Benefits Group and leads new caregivers through Basic Training.
Christy’s goal is to become a licensed practical nurse.
There are many skills that make a great caregiver, but for her, empathy and the ability to anticipate the client’s needs are key. “Be very proactive. You cannot be just like, ‘eh, nobody tells me what to do, so I’m not going to do anything.’ No, no, no, no. What needs to be done?
Do it.”
Her client’s quality of life keeps Christy motivated. “The work we do is hard, but oh so rewarding,” she says. “It can feel isolating, tiring, exhausting, but when I go to bed and think about what I have done that day, I smile, because I think, ‘I did a good thing today.’ I am helping Mrs. M. to live with dignity.”
She offers this advice to new caregivers: “Embrace the wealth of love that you offer to those you care for. And celebrate the value you introduce to the lives of their families.”
Christy’s Cactus Salad Recipe
One of Christy’s favorite recipes is cactus salad. She adds extra veggies and even avocado and bell peppers. Christy says, “You can add more or do less. It depends on the person.”
