Caregiving is the act of taking care of and feeling responsible for another person’s well-being. Much of what Rita does for a living, according to her, is out of love which has been her motivation.

For 2 years now, Rita has been providing excellent care to her 88-year old diabetic patient who lives by herself. A typical day starts with monitoring her patient’s blood glucose and blood pressure levels. As diabetics are prone to foot problems, Rita checks her patient’s feet regularly to see if there are cracks, cuts or ingrown nails. She is also in-charge of administering medications and making sure that her client follows a healthy meal plan. The plan includes fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats, and chicken or turkey without the skin.

Exercise, physical and mental, is part of her client’s daily routine. Rita accompanies her client to daily walks inside the village; gardening is another shared activity that they both enjoy. Rita always sees to it that her client wears comfortable shoes. Her client was very athletic when she was young and she has trophies to prove it; one of her favorite activities is reading the sports section of the San Jose Mercury News. At 88, her client is still mentally alert; she enjoys playing scrabble and doing crossword puzzles but would often leave the Sudoku puzzles for Rita. Her client also enjoys watching The Price Is Right and never misses viewing a game of tennis by Rafael Nadal.

Rita provides assistance but is careful that her client is still able to maintain her own dignity and independence. She allows her client to do what she’s capable of doing, offering help only when she asks for it. This is probably why Rita has been her caregiver for the longest time. Caregiving is hard work that requires a certain level of maturity and understanding from care providers.

In addition to eldercare, Rita helps with everyday household affairs such as light housekeeping, laundry, ironing, and cooking. She uses a baby monitor so she can check on her client while she’s doing other chores.

Rita shared that her client reminds her of her late grandmother who raised her. Other than the slight resemblance, caring for her client brings back memories of a relationship that thrived on mutual love and respect.