People who care for People

As of 5 November 2014, the work of people caring for the elderly or disabled is recognized. Today is the international day of caregivers. So I dedicate today's post to this group of professionals or family members who, without any previous knowledge, carry out such praiseworthy work. Many people carry out this type of work, caring for other people either because of old age, illness, or disability. There are two types of carers, the professional carer and the carer who takes care of a relative.

The professional caregiver has no family ties with the patient, performs home care and receives a monetary payment for his or her services. A professional caregiver is a professional who is trained to care for people, who must have previous knowledge and experience in caring for people with dependency conditions.

I have friends who are not professionals in the field, i.e. they are not graduates of an educational institution where they will study to be accredited as a professional caregiver. However, they carry out their work with a lot of love and dedication.

My friend Olimar, a young Venezuelan woman with a degree in education, left the country in search of economic improvements. She spent a year in Peru, a few months in Chile and has now been in Argentina for more than two years. She is dedicated to caring for children with disabilities full time, as she lives in the same house where her patient lives.

My friend Naury, another education professional who stayed in Venezuela but is now dedicated to caring for the elderly, spent more than a year caring for an elderly woman full time, and went to live in the same house as her to care for her full time until she passed away at the age of 99. Naury cared for her mother for a while before she died of breast cancer. She now cares for her younger brother who is mentally retarded. Naury is a woman with a great heart.

I also fondly remember Mrs. Julia, who took care of my father in the last years of his life. A great woman, big-hearted, very helpful. We also have the other type of caregiver, who takes care of a sick or elderly relative without receiving monetary payment, because they do it out of love. She remains indefinitely in the job of family caregiver, as in the case of my friend Naury who took care of her mother and now takes care of her brother.

With special affection I acknowledge the work done by Mrs. Mercedes, a woman dedicated to the care of her very elderly mother, who suffered for many years from Alzheimer's disease. Her mother fell ill with covid19 and died, and after a month she too succumbed to the deadly virus.

My mother's last months and especially her last days were for my two siblings, Pedro and Gertudis, a time of special care for her. My two siblings were caregivers with a heart that was completely devoted to the care of my mother.

Today I dedicate this article to them, for having such a great heart, for doing the work of caring for people, whether paid or unpaid, of giving the support required to care for another person who needs it to improve their quality of life. God bless you for your great work.

I am reminded of a film I saw months ago. It is called "Before I Stood", directed by Thea Sharrock. A film that teaches us a true lesson of life, of a young caregiver of a quadriplegic man. A very beautiful film that reflects the labour of a person who takes care of another person. I recommend it to you.

Happy International Day of Carers, God bless you!

Pictures from: Unsplash.com