Spotlight Interview with Sheila S.

May 20, 2022 | Team Spotlight

Meet Sheila Sheer, a Direct Care Worker who has been providing care to people for over 8 years! Sheila was kind enough to do an interview with CRI Indiana staff and talk about her passion for caring! We hope you enjoy this interview!

Q: Can you tell me about yourself and where you’re from?

“I’m Sheila Sheer. I live in Indiana. I’m an Indiana High School graduate. I like helping people… and that’s what told me to have this job.”

Q: How long have you been working for CRI?

“Eight years”.

Q: Now how did you know this career was the career for you?

“How to help people. And it gave me the opportunity and there’s always something new to learn.”

Q: Are there any challenges that you faced while working with CRI?

“New ideas and Tessa wasn’t my first boss. So every boss had their own style of doing things, and I have to adapt to them.”

Q: And are you a PCA or are you DCW?

“I’m more a DCW than a PCA, but I just like helping people and I didn’t realize there were so many ways to bathe, and then this job taught me so much.”

Q: Consumers today, why would they say, do you work well with them?

“Yeah, they know I care for them. I’m usually prompt. They ask for my advice that I would tell them to see their doctor and to follow what would the doctor say.”

Q: Would you recommend this job to somebody else? And why would you do that?

“I would recommend (to) them because… Especially if they’re strong, if they want experience and most people that have this job, they go on to be a nurse or, if they have a caring heart.”

Q: Now when you get stressed out, what kind of things do you like to do to de-stress yourself?

“I listen to music.”

Q: What kind of music?

“Either rock or country.”

Q: Nice. What are your hopes for your consumers?

“Someday that they get better if they have a sore leg or whatever’s wrong with them. But of course, if they do get better and end up dropping the agency or whatever I would miss them.”

Q: Right. How do you help a consumer keep their independence?

“Well, I look for hazards in their home. If there’s a wire down, I pick it up. If they need food, I talk to my boss, maybe they need to get food stamps or go to a food bank. And it just depends on what they need.”

Q: If your consumer is having a bad day, how can you help them have a better day?

“Sometimes I get people with dementia or Alzheimer’s and they might be thinking of their loved one, and then I try to say, ‘Well, what was your loved one’s favorite food or favorite music?’ And then they seem to be happy, but it just depends on the situation.”

Meet Sheila Sheer, a Direct Care Worker who has been providing care to people for over 8 years! Sheila was kind enough to do an interview with CRI Indiana staff and talk about her passion for caring! We hope you enjoy this interview!

Q: Can you tell me about yourself and where you’re from?

“I’m Sheila Sheer. I live in Indiana. I’m an Indiana High School graduate. I like helping people… and that’s what told me to have this job.”

Q: How long have you been working for CRI?

“Eight years”.

Q: Now how did you know this career was the career for you?

“How to help people. And it gave me the opportunity and there’s always something new to learn.”

Q: Are there any challenges that you faced while working with CRI?

“New ideas and Tessa wasn’t my first boss. So every boss had their own style of doing things, and I have to adapt to them.”

Q: And are you a PCA or are you DCW?

“I’m more a DCW than a PCA, but I just like helping people and I didn’t realize there were so many ways to bathe, and then this job taught me so much.”

Q: Consumers today, why would they say, do you work well with them?

“Yeah, they know I care for them. I’m usually prompt. They ask for my advice that I would tell them to see their doctor and to follow what would the doctor say.”

Q: Would you recommend this job to somebody else? And why would you do that?

“I would recommend (to) them because… Especially if they’re strong, if they want experience and most people that have this job, they go on to be a nurse or, if they have a caring heart.”

Q: Now when you get stressed out, what kind of things do you like to do to de-stress yourself?

“I listen to music.”

Q: What kind of music?

“Either rock or country.”

Q: Nice. What are your hopes for your consumers?

“Someday that they get better if they have a sore leg or whatever’s wrong with them. But of course, if they do get better and end up dropping the agency or whatever I would miss them.”

Q: Right. How do you help a consumer keep their independence?

“Well, I look for hazards in their home. If there’s a wire down, I pick it up. If they need food, I talk to my boss, maybe they need to get food stamps or go to a food bank. And it just depends on what they need.”

Q: If your consumer is having a bad day, how can you help them have a better day?

“Sometimes I get people with dementia or Alzheimer’s and they might be thinking of their loved one, and then I try to say, ‘Well, what was your loved one’s favorite food or favorite music?’ And then they seem to be happy, but it just depends on the situation.”

Community Resources for Independence would like to thank Sheila for coming up to Indiana and doing this interview with us and also for her dedication, time, effort, and kindness she shows to her consumers.

**Interview completed by Mariya Redden, CRI Media Coordinator**

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For more information about any of the services CRI provides, please Check out CRI’s Programs

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