Anita’s Biography
The first memory in my life was my mother lifting me up to kiss my aunt and her baby good bye at the funeral held for them in their (our) family’s home. At the tender of age three, I was too young to be afraid, but old enough to realize that something very unusual was happening and that there was a palpable change in the environment. This very poignant impact left me with the ability to be open to discuss dying and death. Then, when my grandmother battled end-stage dementia, I learned how to become her caregiver when she came to live full-time in our home. At the young age of 15, I learned how to communicate with her, aid in her daily activities of life and to help her with her struggles. Later in life, after an accident, I faced paralysis and realized first hand the absolute need for an advocate in negotiating the health care system. In short, home care aid, patient advocacy and end-of-life care has been a cornerstone of my entire life from my childhood to the present.
Most importantly, I love my clients and they love me!
My experience with complex caregiving led me to develop six essential skills:
- Palliative care
- Family dynamics
- Crisis management
- Bureaucratic navigation
- Fluency in “doctor speak”
- Logistics and scheduling