Meet HHA Xiu Yan Chen – And Learn Her Tips to Providing Care
Xiu Yan Chen, who describes herself as a straightforward personality, is from Jilin, Northeast China. After being introduced to VNS Health by a friend in 2016, she was then trained as a Home Health Aide and became part of the VNS Health Personal Care team.
“How’s your day today?” … “The weather has changed recently, are you keeping warm?” … “Did you sleep well last night?” … The secret to breaking the ice when delivering care, Xiu Yan says, is to ask your client questions when you begin providing care. She can not only build up a relationship with the client in a short time by asking these questions, but her client’s responses also help her update the client’s status and how the client is feeling immediately so she can provide better service. For example, a client didn’t sleep well last night, so by asking questions, Xiu Yan can figure out whether it was because of temperature changes, whether to change the pillow or bedding, or because of another reason.
“First, reduce the client’s physical discomfort by providing attentive care,” Xiu Yan says. She believes that by providing this type of care, it can change a client’s mood and strengthen the relationship between the two sides.
“Secondly, be compassionate to the needs of the client,” Xiu Yan adds. Some clients don’t live with their family members. For these clients especially, the Home Health Aide becomes the best listener who can also interact with them and improve their mental health since they are there each week providing services. Sometimes, she will send photos or videos to the client’s family members to keep them updated on their relative’s current status so they are able to focus on their own jobs and lives. She believes that the praise she receives from clients not only validates her own service, but also earns a good reputation for the organization.
In the past two years, because of the impact that COVID has had and the high risk of infection at work, some Home Health Aides have chosen to suspend work – but Xiu Yan insists on continuing to work. “The clients need service; we need to maintain our livelihood; and the organization needs Home Health Aides,” she says. “We can survive from COVID only if we work together.”
