Meet Blaine, One of Our Home Health Care Heroes

To Blaine, Every Day is a Fresh New Day

When Blaine C. was a little girl living in Philadelphia, she loved accompanying her mother, a private duty nurse at the time, on her job when possible.

“My mother had this great attitude and would treat everybody like they were special,” recalls Blaine.

Blaine’s own career also now includes caregiving for individuals of all ages. She ran a day care center for several years. Later, she moved into the field of home health care, assisting patients with afflictions like cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, blindness, muscular sclerosis, dementia and other challenging long-term illnesses.

“Like my mother, I try to go in each day and treat my older patients with the kind of attention I would show my own grandparents,” she says. “I look at each day with a clean heart and realize it’s a fresh new day.”

Every Individual is Special

Blaine encourages her patients to help plan activities. Sometimes this means sitting quietly and reading, doing puzzles or playing games. Other times, if patients are mobile, they may take neighborhood walks or go out into the community (with masks and social distancing these days, and only if safe).

Most of all, Blaine says, she listens. She’s heard a wealth of fascinating stories from the older population she serves, from people who have dealt with terrible situations including the holocaust.

“These are our elders. They are due our respect and love. They were here before us and they know what’s going on.”

Instilling Trust

Blaine has been with Reliance Home Health Care for 13 years. You can read more about her current experience working with Kathy, a dementia patient, here.

Blaine explains how seeing the same patients regularly helps her instill trust and bring out smiles. She truly follows a “one day at a time” positive outlook, which, she admits, is more challenging than usual right now given the pandemic.

However, “I say to my patients – hey, we all woke up this morning – that’s the key, so let’s be happy!”

In her spare time Blaine does charity work for the homeless.

“I know I’m doing something positive, and I feel really good about it.”

Seeking Caregivers

Are you, like Blaine, a compassionate caregiver? Blue Bell’s Reliance Home Health Care is seeking part-and full-time home health aides, nursing assistants and companions who would like to help seniors live independently in their own homes. The company helps those that are healthy and just need some help with everyday living as well as those with injuries or long-term health challenges. For more information, please call 610-896-6030 or send your resume to harold@reliancehomehealth.com.