For Jaime Lee, our September Aide of the Month, caregiving isn’t just her job, it’s a way of life. Whether she’s taking care of her CCOR clients, her daughter, her special needs son, or her disabled partner, Jaime lives a life of non-stop compassion. Only when she lays her head on the pillow at night does she get a break from her life of giving. “I wouldn’t trade it, though,” she says.
Her career of giving started ten years ago when she was hired by a nursing home. It was there she discovered that her innate gifts of patience, empathy, and compassion could blossom into a career. “I tried the job out, and I loved it,” she explains. “I had patients with dementia, and I knew how to talk to them. I just knew what to do.” After eight years in the nursing home, Jaime switched to CCOR and the preferable experience of caring for individual clients. “It’s nice having one person at a time. You get the one-on-one, and they get cared for appropriately."
Jaime cares deeply about her clients’ well-being. “I enjoy caring for the elderly and being an advocate for them, because a lot of them don’t have that,” she says. Her devotion to her clients shows up in all that she does for them whether it’s doing housework, assisting them with showers, or taking them on their errands. And through it all, Jaime’s goofy sense of humor keeps her going and her clients happy. “I must be doing something right, because one of my clients said to me, ‘They asked if I want another aide, and I told them if I can’t have Jaime, I don’t want anybody!’” she relates with a laugh.
When Jaime isn’t caring for her clients, she’s busy taking care of her family, which is no small task. Her 11-year-old daughter Kailyn has all the normal needs of a preteen in the throes of growing up. Her three-year-old son Darik is an active, autistic child and requires constant attention. “Darik is very hyper and very smart. He can’t talk yet, so we don’t know what he wants unless he drags us around the house. And he’s funny.” Even at three, Darik is a comedian, imitating sounds he hears around the house, such as his father snoring or his sister’s laugh. Jaime’s partner and fiancé Sean also requires compassionate care due to a faulty hernia operation four years ago that left him permanently disabled.
When she needs time to recharge, her respite is a long nature walk, with her son in the stroller. “Walking is what I do for me. I enjoy nature. I bond with my son.”
Jaime firmly believes in making sure everyone she cares for feels dignity, pride, and respect. “I know what it’s like to be treated badly,” she explains, “So I don’t want anyone to feel that way.” And when Jaime is around, no one feels anything but love.