Teresa Shelton speaks about her career, how to better care for elderly
Caring for the elderly and the infirm is something all of us will be tasked with at some point if we are fortunate to have our loved ones remain with us for long enough. Yet the activities and industries associated with caregiving are unfamiliar to most of us unless we’ve been directly impacted. And even when we have, navigating the complications of providing exemplary care can become overwhelming quickly.
Teresa Shelton has been a caregiver her entire life. As early as high school, she recalls attending to aging family members and neighbors, starting with her great-grandparents. You can tell by the smile on her face and the joy in her voice that she loves this work. And after a lifetime career of providing assistance, companionship and care services, she was recognized as the Right at Home Caregiver of the Year in the Southeast Region for 2018.
I recently sat down with Teresa to learn more about her career as a caregiver and to hopefully garner some actionable advice we all can take with us for when it’s our time to provide care.
BLANK Newspaper: Can you tell me what your day is like in a typical workday for you?
Teresa Shelton: My goal is to give the best quality of life daily to the person I’m taking care of. If that means helping them do a chore at home, cooking for them, taking them somewhere, I do just that. I listen to their stories, help with everyday tasks, remind them of their medications; there’s a lot that we take for granted that becomes difficult as you get older.
After all these years, what keeps you dedicated to the practice of caregiving?
The people I take care of. It’s a wonderful experience. A lot of the clients I work with locally have worked at Oak Ridge and were a big part of the history of the East Tennessee Valley. Their stories and their experience are amazing. Every day, you know they want to share parts of their life with you, and it’s exceptional to be a part of their journey.
How do you hope to make your community in Knoxville a better place for those in your care?
I want people to understand that everyone has different abilities, regardless of their age or health, and that spending time with the people you care for is so important to them, no matter what you do.
Instead of letting a senior sit at home alone, do something special with them. If your neighbor needs help, help them. Even if that means to go sit and talk with them and listen to their stories, that makes a difference in everybody’s life.
Our community would be much stronger if we could be more open-minded and understanding of seniors and people that live alone because there are more of them than you know, and they need our help.
What can our readers, the people who are going to read this article, do for the seniors in our personal networks to make their lives better?
Just be there for them. Listen to their needs. If it’s something you can do, help them. If it’s something you can’t do, find somebody like me and the people from Right at Home that directly provide assistance with daily tasks and responsibilities. Spending time and doing what you can give the elderly encouragement to keep going, no matter their age.
Don’t just sit there; do something. Make a difference in someone’s life.
