Jayne Fischer, Care Aide

At Chartwell since 2012

Chartwell Carrington Place Retirement Residence

“For me, the most important attribute to have as a Care Aide is empathy.”

I became a Care Aide in 2009 and joined Chartwell Carrington Place in 2012. My role involves helping residents with their personal care needs and ensuring that they feel safe and well cared for. I love interacting with residents and assisting them with their daily routines. From distributing their medication to delivering their meals, my favourite part of the day is when I have time to sit down and have some on-on-one time with residents; I love hearing their stories and past experiences.

My top priority is to ensure residents feel safe, welcomed and happy. Every six weeks I host a welcome tea for new residents and introduce them to others in the hopes of sparking new friendships. Every time I host the tea, the number of residents who show up increases; it’s a very friendly environment. Residents have become so invested in this initiative that they even offer me suggestions on how to improve the next tea. Both staff and residents at Chartwell Carrington Place love to participate and meet new people.

Growing up, there were three seniors who played an important role in my life. My Uncle Klaus, who always looked for the good in everyone, my Uncle Bruno, whose door was always open if you needed help, and my good friend Bob, who was always there for me and encouraged me to believe in myself. All three of these individuals understood that we are all different, and that is something that should be embraced and shared with others. They inspired me to become the person I am today.

For me, the most important attribute to have as a Care Aide is empathy. Empathy is a selfless act that enables us to learn more about people and relationships. It is the ability to see the world as another person does, to share and understand their feelings, needs, concerns and emotional state, and this is incredibly important when working with residents.

In addition to being passionate about my job, I am also passionate about my pets. I have two dogs and one cat. My cat, Chloe, is such a friendly animal, and I often bring her in to visit with residents and make their day a little brighter. To me, Making People’s Lives BETTER means caring for residents day in and day out and being there for them in their time of need.