Northwood Staff Create Meaningful Relationships with their Clients

With more than 1,700 clients across Nova Scotia receiving Home Care from Northwood Continuing Care Assistants, our dynamic team of caregivers are always on the go providing quality care that allows Nova Scotians to stay right where they want to – in their home and in their communities. Our staff are passionate about what they do, and it shows.

For Tanya Barker, becoming a Continuing Care Assistant at Northwood was the best career choice for her. “The job was made for me! I love people and I love helping people,” she says.

Tanya began her career as a teaching assistant but knew she could offer even more. That’s when she discovered the CCA program and began her education. She’s been working with Northwood for more than 10 years and has been caring for Paul Giles for as many years. Tanya is part of the team that helps keep Paul living independently and in his own home, the same home he raised his children in.

Paul first started having symptoms of MS when he was in his mid-twenties, only a year after he moved into the family home.  His symptoms began slowly and with some tingling in his limbs, he explains. “It was a slow progression. It was like trying to go up a hill. One step forward and two steps back,” Paul says.

Paul requires a wheelchair to get around his home. His home is outfitted with some smart technology to help him with his day to day activities, like a timer for the TV, so he doesn’t need to worry about picking up the remote and trying to turn it off with the button. Paul says he’d love to have a way to open his front door on his own, so he can go onto his deck and enjoy the view of the lake he lives on.

Tanya and Paul are just one of example of the extraordinary bond that develops between a caregiver and a client. Over time, a trust is built that’s unlike any other. “With some clients, you see them more than they see their own kids and family,” Tanya says. “I look forward to seeing Paul. We laugh, we dance around, Paul sings!”

Near the end of the visit, Paul said to Tanya, “You’re simply the best,” and with that, Paul and Tanya burst into song singing Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best.”