Senior Care Academy - A Helperly Podcast
Senior Care Academy is the podcast for caregivers, senior care providers, and families with aging loved ones. Hosted by experienced professionals, we explore essential topics like elder care planning, dementia support, financial advice, and emotional wellness for caregivers.
Each episode offers expert insights, practical tips, and resources to help you navigate senior care with confidence. Whether you're a healthcare provider, a family member supporting aging parents, or a senior adult seeking guidance, this podcast delivers actionable advice tailored to your needs.
Subscribe now for in-depth discussions, expert interviews, and real-world solutions to improve the quality of care for the seniors in your life.
Senior Care Academy - A Helperly Podcast
2024: The Helperly Office Team Reflection
A heartfelt reflection on the past year, this episode brings together personal and professional milestones shared by the team at Helperly. We discuss cherished memories from 2024, meaningful moments in senior care, and set goals for the year ahead.
Tune in for a fun filled episode with staff conversations, and special guest, Vincent, our self-appointed office manager.
• Sharing favorite personal memories from 2024
• Highlighting impactful moments in senior care
• Reflecting on lessons learned through caregiver-client interactions
• Discussing family celebrations and holiday highlights
• Setting personal resolutions for growth in 2025
• Outlining professional goals in senior care for the coming year
• Reinforcing the importance of community and compassion for seniors
Welcome back to Senior Care Academy. This week in between Christmas and New Year's, we decided we wanted to reflect on this next year and talk about this coming year. We have Aaron Ashton, who's our podcast producer and marketing manager.
Speaker 2:What up, what up.
Speaker 1:And we're just going to dive into and go around the office talking to everybody to see some positive, happy moments from 2024 and what they're looking forward to most in 2025.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me, caleb. It's always a pleasure to sit down with my boss and ask him questions. I'll ask you the questions first, I think because it would set the tone of what we're doing here. So 2024, what a year. Yeah what a year. So first off, favorite personal memory from this year.
Speaker 1:Well, we had our second son six months ago, so that was a huge memory. He's been a joy and a pleasure to have. He's a happy baby and then, I think, the overall memory of 2024, it's just been a lot little trips. Wes and I started going camping every single month and then we had a few like family trips, so it was just a lot of good family time that I hadn't had the last few years.
Speaker 2:So Bought and sold a motorcycle.
Speaker 1:Bought and sold a motorcycle same year.
Speaker 2:unfortunately, Got a new car yeah.
Speaker 1:Lost 30 pounds. Gained 30 pounds.
Speaker 2:Great year Bought a number of.
Speaker 1:I think I've went through three or four cars this year, but the newest car that my wife and I have ever bought together just recently.
Speaker 2:So big year that got trashed or got wrecked, but it's coming back. Yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, Crashed within our first three weeks of owning it Just heartbreaking but it's all right.
Speaker 2:I think it is always fun to just look back on the year and be like holy cow. So much has happened.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my wife last night sent me a text and it was every month, what like defined that month. And then I went and sent one back and it was like I had a work and then a personal related one. And yeah, just scrolling through all the pictures to be like what even happened.
Speaker 2:I was then a personal related one and, yeah, just scrolling through all the pictures to be like what even happened? It was like holy crap, crazy year. Yeah, so much happens and we just kind of I don't know you, just everything feels normal feels the same.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's hard to you. Look back, you're like, wow, yeah, all that happened this in the last 12 months how did we survive?
Speaker 1:um well, kind of on that, note your favorite senior care memory or story from this year yeah, um, this year, specific like hands-on with seniors at the beginning of the year we had a stint with a podcast called wisdom. Well, and that was a ton of fun. Um, going into seniors homes and kind of revalidating and and re-emphasizing the belief that every senior has, has lived or is living an exceptional life, even if they feel like you know, they just were boring and they on the note of like they just settled into life and um wisdom, while we went in and interviewed people and, without fail, every single, I think we did like 12 or 14 episodes um, without fail, they always said I don't know why you're wasting your time talking to me and then, like an hour and a half later, some tears were shed and like crazy golden nuggets of wisdom. So that was an awesome memory, like hands-on with seniors, just helping them realize like holy crap the amount of things I've gone through and done in my life.
Speaker 1:it's pretty incredible, and so yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I think, if you approach a famous person and you say the same thing, like yeah, Well, I think, if you approach a famous person and you say the same thing, like or they'll say the same thing, right Like, why would you? Talk to me, but uh, it's exactly what you just said. Once you start looking back, you realize like oh wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Done a lot. It's a saying. It's like you, can you discredit what you think you can get?
Speaker 2:done in a year and then you discredit what can get done in a decade. And they've lived six, seven, eight, nine decades done a lot of stuff. That's crazy. All right, favorite.
Speaker 1:Christmas present or moment Moment. This was the first year that Wes he's three really understood a little bit of what was going on. And so all the presents, all except his. We got a little like electric Bronco thing for him. We're underneath the tree and out the night before but you know, as a parent you pull it out and you present it. So it's like Holy crap, look at all these presents. And we got down and we went and I was covering his eyes. We went into the living room uncovered and he was just speechless, just like his face was glowing, like I don't even know what's happening right now, and they jumped down, ripped all the present We've stuffed his Bronco with different presents. He threw them all out and he's like daddy.
Speaker 1:I love it. Um, it was funny. But and then, favorite present my father-in-law. Well, um, there's a lot of really great presents, but my father-in-law knew that M got me a new hunting rifle and so when I first opened it at his house, it was just a case and I was like, oh, that's so sweet, this is a nice case for my gun. And I was like it's super heavy. And I opened it. And there was another gun which was sweet. It was a .224 Valkyrie. So, pretty sweet, I enjoy shooting on the side. It's just fun stuff.
Speaker 2:So two new rifles, yeah you gotta get married man get the right in-laws that's awesome uh and it's funny because I saw wes on the machine yesterday and he did not look happy because he'd already been riding it for well, how long yeah just cold outside yeah, and he got dialed in once.
Speaker 1:He got set up he had like a concentration like face. It was so funny. That's so cute. Good day all right.
Speaker 2:Looking forward to 2025 yes, we never thought we'd be around. Yeah, this far uh, but personal resolution first and then we'll go into the work and senior yeah, personal.
Speaker 1:um, I I have a big one of I kind of want what's the guy's name? He makes the big ass calendar is what it's called. But he talks about doing something you wouldn't normally do every other month. So we go camping already, but having something every other month, that is, you know, unique. Other month, that is, you know, unique Like we might go um snowmobiling this next month.
Speaker 1:And then there's my go to Alaska. Just like different small trips that you stack up over time makes a really cool life. And then the other, like the fitness one. Like I said last year I think I dropped it was like 30 or 35 pounds and then immediately get back on. So I'm going to drop it and keep it off this time. What, how's the grin saying this time I'll keep it off. So he says it after uh, he's like my heart shrunk two sides.
Speaker 1:We'd watch the grid, so I can see, uh, and he's like, and this time I'll keep it off.
Speaker 2:So we should have asked people that what's your favorite christmas movie?
Speaker 1:oh yeah, that'd been a good question that's hey.
Speaker 2:You are one of the most dedicated people to fitness I've ever seen. Like when you flip that switch, it gets scary.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We used to go to the gym years ago at like what felt like 4 am and I could barely do it, but you were like wide awake yeah.
Speaker 1:No, that's probably part of the problem. Problem is like when I'm like I'm going to go and then I go six days a week at 5.00 AM and then like four months later, I'm like I can't afford it rather than being like why don't I just go at like you know, for 20 minutes at 7.00 AM and you know, dial back to balance it out and I'm like no, it's all, or nothing.
Speaker 1:So maybe that's the lesson is to better to go to the gym at a little bit some point in the day rather than if I don't go at 5 am. Every day I'm a failure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, All right. Work or senior resolution. I'm sure you have a lot business-wise but I don't know.
Speaker 1:Is there something that stands out, a huge goal for 2025, obviously. So Evan talked about or is going to talk about wanting to expand outside of helperly. We want to be in a few states, wanting to expand outside of helperly. We want to be in a few States, um, but the big goal, the overarching goal, is to try to make um, senior care that relies so heavily on, like, interpersonal relationships, people going into people's homes, and sometimes it's you know, it's a uh, crazy bag. You can pull out great caregiver, great experience, great match, and other times it's not. So we're implementing some cool software to make sure that every single caregiver kind of systemizing interpersonal relationships, so every caregiver is the best match for their client, and it's going to be a big lift to get all that software written. We're on our way, though, so that's a big work. Goal that we have is just uniform excellence among direct care staff.
Speaker 2:That's. That's a great goal. I think, yeah, all right, why don't you?
Speaker 1:ask me the question Sweet. Yes, aaron, our marketing director our the man behind the camera. What's your favorite personal memory of 2024?
Speaker 2:You know we're going to listen to everybody's's. We already did. But yeah you are gonna listen to them and it's so funny listening. I got married, or? It's out of my family. I'm a single man in my late 20s so every time I hear one of those, I'm like, oh, that's a good one. I wish I had that one um, but mine I don't know.
Speaker 2:I you know, the longer you stay single, I feel like the more hobbies I just gain yeah um, and so this year it's been uh, vinyls, woodworking, and uh just just got a coffee machine actually, or?
Speaker 1:uh, an espresso machine.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're getting into connoisseur of sorts yes, because caleb knows this, but I go out for coffee like every day. It's great, uh. So no, I got a really nice machine and, uh, that's that's kind of my next year goal. But yeah, always learning new little hobbies is like it's my favorite thing yeah, very cool, and you got a new truck.
Speaker 1:Oh, I got a new truck, that's right, oh, that new truck is nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, little ford maverick gang rise up um sure that I'll count two new truck sweet um.
Speaker 1:You've been in the senior care space for a few months now here at Helperly. What is your favorite moment or memory from this year?
Speaker 2:Never thought I'd be in the senior care space, yeah, but I do feel like I've settled into it quite a bit and it's a great environment here at Helperly. You know, just pat ourselves on the back. But you know, as a marketing manager, I feel like that's such an ambiguous title. You know it means different things in different companies. But for me, like, what I've tried to define is that all it means is that we're highlighting the work that's being done, because so much is already happening.
Speaker 2:You know, on the floor, on the ground, the troops, um, so my favorite memories are from, like, visiting a few clients that we've had uh, sandra and Rosalba and like getting to see how senior care are. You know, helperly has impacted their lives. Like it's, it's, it's crazy. You know, it's like a night and day difference for some people. And like Monique is going to say, it's easy to forget those moments and just be like, oh, we, you know we made more money, or we, you know we did more care this week than last week. But like, remembering those moments, it's like, yeah, it really changes the way you look at everything that we do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know. Yeah, it's been really cool to see like I said, it's things that were already getting done, but now they're getting the spotlight and magnification that they ought to, just bringing it to the light all the awesome work that direct care staff and people are doing every day.
Speaker 2:Well and I think off on a little tangent here, I do think that says something about the entire industry that there's so much good work that is being done by people like on the ground that doesn't ever get highlighted and hasn't been highlighted up to this point, which I think is kind of crazy. You know, like when we think about our heroes, like during COVID it was, you know, like nurses and police and all this kind of stuff but senior care people like it's just such a crucial, crucial part of our society that just gets often overlooked, underpaid, you know, and underappreciated and
Speaker 1:uh, so it's cool that it's cool to be, like you know, have more insight into it and, yeah, start leading the charge and giving everybody the recognition that they need, yeah, deserve. I like that. Um, what was your favorite christmas present or moment yesterday as a single man in his late 20s I'm just kidding, as a single man in my late 20s.
Speaker 2:ladies, listen up. No, we set up a ping pong table in my mom's garage and set up some Christmas lights in there, so the vibe's immaculate. Yeah, and all my little siblings have gotten really good at ping pong.
Speaker 6:the last few weeks, which is crazy.
Speaker 2:So now every Sunday we play ping pong for a few hours and it's awesome.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's very fun so come on over if you want to enter the gauntlet. Um sweet, and then looking forward 2025, what is you mentioned? This might be one of your personal goals, but what's a personal goal for 2025?
Speaker 2:assume coffee connoisseur oh yeah, well, personal goal. Um, you know, I was the one that came up with these questions and I didn't think about this one I guess. Uh. So yeah, we'll say coffee. That's the new hobby.
Speaker 1:I want to get really good at lattes, yeah latte art and this might be the, this might be the, uh, the hobby, the interest that reels one in for you Gets finds a partner.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that might be my problem. Woodworking. They're like nah Wrong space. I thought sawdust was sexy, but I guess not Mechanic work. No, that didn't work.
Speaker 1:I think it's skill stacking. Once you find maybe this is the ticket in, then she'll be like woodworking mechanic. Motorcycles Talk to me.
Speaker 2:Gym. Holy crap, we just have to have that starting point of coffee. Yeah, no, oh, actually a personal goal, I think. Sometime this year I want to do one of those European caminos like Camino de Santiago in. Spain or Camino de something in Portugal.
Speaker 1:I don't know what that is, it's just like a walk.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're like 40 or 60 mile walks and they have like towns Wow walks. And they have like towns like you, wow, every day you're hiking and then you get to a town, you stay in a hotel. That'd be sweet. So it's just like hike hotel restaurant, hike hotel restaurants, like really cool, they were ancient pill and grimages or something yeah, they're just small little towns yeah, so hike through. That's sweet, that's like a goal. Yeah, it'd be a really cool thing to back over the summer or something um.
Speaker 1:What's a work resolution?
Speaker 2:senior care resolution oh well, uh, all my work resolutions probably revolve around helpfully cares. Like we want to start highlighting and showing appreciation for special seniors. You know there are so many cool people that we work for so many of our clients and we want to start treating them, you know. So we're hoping to do some cool trips, some cool you know, just fun activities for seniors to help them get back into the swing.
Speaker 1:Maybe a Camino de Santiago with the senior in tow.
Speaker 2:I would be happy, I'd be happy to do that If we can find a senior, if any seniors are listening, hike 60 miles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you know anybody that's in their late 70s, early 80s that can hike 60 miles.
Speaker 2:Want to take a 14 hour flight and hike for a few weeks, then Heck yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause, then it's free for you, it's just unhelperly so love that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so no, I'm I'm really excited for the things we got going on and I think 2025, like everybody is going to say um is going to be a fun year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. I'm excited for everything, everything that we bring to light, all the the people and the seniors and the caregivers that, through your efforts, you're going to shine bright. It'll be great.
Speaker 2:So one of these days we're going to do an episode just on your sweaters, on your different fits. We'll do like a Tik TOK style. Here's our CEO, perfect.
Speaker 1:We'll start doing uh, ootdd, oots. Ceo. Outfit of the day.
Speaker 2:And we can cut this part, but I just you know, in case there's any vigilantes out there. Caleb's a great CEO, he's a great guy.
Speaker 1:Don't worry about him. You don't know where to work.
Speaker 2:We don't know he's a great father. Yeah, takes care of his employees, all right.
Speaker 5:Yeah Well, thank you.
Speaker 2:And now we'll dive into the people Sweet.
Speaker 1:Sweet. Okay, now we're talking to Katie. She's over HR and lots of other stuff. So, katie, what has been your favorite senior care story or memory in your first few months here at Helper? Leader I guess this year.
Speaker 6:I would say going to one of our clients' houses because there was no one else. And she was just so so, so like, sweet, and just kind of seeing what all of our folks do that are out in the actual field, because we're kind of hidden here right like we're, we we're making sure that the back office runs yeah, and so it's kind of nice to actually see that like first, first a hand right yeah, yeah, it's very fun.
Speaker 1:What's been one of your favorite personal memories from 2024 oh well, I have a new puppy. Oh.
Speaker 6:So he is officially a year old and so it's been a trying like year right, Because he's a puppy and he's just kind of chewing everything up. But he also is the like, cutest thing ever.
Speaker 1:What breed is he again?
Speaker 6:He is a Roddy Shepherd, oh, so he's super cute.
Speaker 1:But he's just feisty and has this big like yes, yes, yes, so yeah, super fun, yeah, that's so fun. Um so we had christmas. We're doing this between christmas and new year's. What was your favorite christmas present or thing activity you did?
Speaker 6:on christmas. So, um, I got one of those seven a quart a cast cast iron, like um, whatever they're called like a pot dutch oven thingy. Yes, yes yes, dutch oven pot. I'm so excited about it because I can cook it on the stove or it can go in in the um oven and there was like multiple things for it that's sweet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's an inside one. I, whenever I think dutch oven, I think of the, uh, camping ones that have the big scoop and you put coals and stuff.
Speaker 6:Yes, yes it's not a camping one it is an actual stove oven one but that's sweet but it's rad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's way cool um 2025 is coming upon us big year, yeah, yeah, um what is a big personal resolution that you have this year Could be anything.
Speaker 6:So we are working in our basement and like half of it's done, so probably just getting the other half finished right. Because it's like one little thing after.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you doing it yourself or do you Wow?
Speaker 6:For the most part.
Speaker 1:So after work you're just swinging hammers, yeah, or we move stuff around or you know, it's just never ending owning a house. Yeah, well, that'll be exciting. Yeah, exactly. And then what is a big senior care or work resolution that you have.
Speaker 6:Oh yeah, so I've been here for three months now.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 4:I know.
Speaker 6:So I would love to just kind of get all of our back office stuff just like set, and then we can just be ready for all of our growth that is going to happen.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 4:In 2025.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 1:It's going to be awesome, sweet. What's your favorite New Year's resolution you've ever had and accomplished?
Speaker 6:Ooh.
Speaker 1:Personal or work.
Speaker 6:That's a good one. Um, when I was in my early twenties, um, I was just going to um school and working and you know, just super chill I. So, me and my sister, went to every baseball stadium on the West Coast.
Speaker 4:That's a lot, so that was super fun.
Speaker 6:Yeah, yeah because it was just kind of going and my father was a massive baseball fan. And so he just loved everything about it.
Speaker 4:That's sweet.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's a cool year. That was super fun.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was a super cool year. Yeah, I love that Very cool. Thanks for everything you do at Helperly. I'm excited for 2025.
Speaker 6:Glad to be here. Me too. It'll be so fun.
Speaker 1:Sweet. Okay, now we have Evan. He's over most all things insurance and people, and it's just great. So, evan, the first question is what's one of your favorite personal memories of 2024?
Speaker 5:Personal memories of 2024. It's really hard to not say this, but I got married. Yeah, that's a good memory my wife's probably gonna watch this, and if I didn't say that she'd, she'd be a little concerned.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome. So what like the beginning of this year?
Speaker 5:or april this year yeah, nice congrats I forgot that it was this year, yeah, on our two-year anniversary. So they got married.
Speaker 1:So oh, that's so sweet. Um, what is your favorite like work or senior care? Memory from this year.
Speaker 5:I can tell you exactly what my favorite memory was. We had a client that was moving states and needed to fly, and I got to escort him personally through the airport all the way to the gate.
Speaker 1:Wow, at like 4 am or something right, yeah, it was.
Speaker 5:No, the first attempt was at 4 am. This is the second attempt. That was at 11 pm. Um, that was fun. I don't need any security at all. Okay, cool, you're just. You didn't have to go. I had to go through security, but like you didn't have bags or really like check me at all like that's okay.
Speaker 1:Cool, that's way cool. I didn't realize I didn't check you um. Yesterday was christmas. What was your favorite christmas activity or present? You got? Cool, that's way cool. I didn't realize I didn't check you. Yesterday was Christmas. What was your favorite Christmas activity or present? You got.
Speaker 5:Present. I got. I got a really nice knife from my father-in-law Like food knife, hunting knife, like a pocket knife. Oh sweet. He asked, or my in-laws asked, what I wanted and I mentioned I wanted like survival food and like emergency stuff and I got a bunch of that but to accompany the fj naturally to accompany my, uh, my off-roading suv that doesn't go off-road, um, and yeah, no, the the crown jewel of all that was this knife, and it's really, really nice.
Speaker 1:That's sweet um, okay, so 2025 looking forward. I don't know if you've thought about personal resolutions, but what is one big goal you want to accomplish in 2025? I love resolutions.
Speaker 5:Last year's or this year's resolution was to floss more. I flossed more this year than I have my whole life, so I love resolutions. A personal resolution is to be a better guitar player. Even though I played for 16 years, I feel like I've plateaued for a while and I gotta, I gotta dedicate time to it.
Speaker 1:Um. Have you read atomic habits? Um, I've not it has a cool thing with the example of guitar playing. It's like a lot of times people make a resolution I want to, or I want to learn guitar, and then they put it in the closet. But they said, if you replace your, like next to the couch or whatever, wherever you sit to like, play video games or scroll on your phone, put the guitar right there. And somebody did that and like became way good at guitar because their default was playing guitar.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I imagine Ed Sheeran might've been a consult for that because he has a guitar in every room, famously.
Speaker 1:Wow, at least he says it.
Speaker 5:I didn't realize that. Yeah, so anytime he's just sitting there, it's like guitar. Yeah, that's that's, at least that's what he says. I got it mapped out and I have a uh, a teacher I'm working with to, oh, to kind of check my progress, sweet yes.
Speaker 1:Accountability, um, what's a big uh work resolution.
Speaker 5:Senior care resolution senior care resolution, all the like. The logistics and office stuff is boring so I'm going to skip over that. Um, you know what I? I want uh resolution to be in another state this year. I want to expand our operations and our uh, our positive influence over the lives of seniors into another another area.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a great goal. Um, I asked Katie what her favorite resolution that she ever had and she accomplished was. I'll ask you what is a 10-year resolution? Evan at 43 42, no 41. I forget, I don't know. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have taken the guess, yeah.
Speaker 5:In 10 years with my resolution yeah At 41. Your 10-year resolution Wow, that's a. That's a. I was not prepared for that. Well, that one is not on the study guide. You know what I would love to get my college degree Nice. I've been doing it one class at a time every semester for 10 years now. So yeah, I would love to get a hopefully my master's by then.
Speaker 1:Put it that way. That'd be sweet. It's a great 10 year resolution, Cool Well. Thank you, Evan. I'm glad you're here at Helperly and I'm excited for 2025. Okay, Monique just joined us. She's our Salt Lake County branch manager. She's exceptional. We have a few questions going into the new year, Monique. The first is what's a favorite personal memory or goal that you accomplished in 2024?
Speaker 7:I probably not just looking at it numbers wise, but also making sure that everybody gets seen, because there is a story behind the numbers and there's a person behind the numbers. So yeah, while the numbers may look good, it makes our clients feel good because there is people there and they're countable and dependable and you know, and then we can also weed out the ones that aren't.
Speaker 1:So um, okay, so that sounded like work related, which I love helping making sure everybody gets seen and cared for, because I agree that that every metric or number on a screen has an individual person behind it. What's a personal something that? In your life, you did.
Speaker 7:Gosh. Um, honestly, I really don't know, personal wise.
Speaker 1:That's okay, it's just another year it is. You kept your kids alive, fed and watered every day. That's huge.
Speaker 7:You know clean clothes. They've gone to school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and sometimes that's all that you do.
Speaker 7:Yeah, all you can do Nothing, I think exceptional this year just the status quo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, christmas was yesterday. What, um? What was your favorite part of it? Whether it was a present or an experience. I know you have kids, so it's kind of fun to share in it yeah, uh, we made them wait this year for their big present, which were ipads this year, nice and so they had to wait all the way until the end.
Speaker 7:And Vincent was overly done because he got so many clothes this year. He was just over it. And then he opened up a plastic pencil and was like what's this? It's for when you play on my phone and your other tablet. It's okay. And he just kept going and kept going and he finally got to the iPad and they both were just ecstatic, so it was so nice.
Speaker 4:The magic of it all.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. The next question is going into 2025, what is a senior care related goal that you have?
Speaker 7:Well, because, like I said before, numbers, people, people, numbers, it all equals the same. So making sure that we maintain a good number with our fulfillment and making sure everybody's happy. And so we've kind of set goals to every quarter, especially since we have a lot of college students, just to check in with them at least every quarter and make sure that they're still happy if they need more or less hours, if their caseload's too much, and with school and work and whatever else.
Speaker 1:Because I guess nobody had done that for a while and when we started doing it we found out somebody wasn't very happy and was starting to fail at school, and so yeah, yeah, well, that's an awesome goal to just check in with everybody more regularly and make sure everybody's happy. Do you have any 2025 personal resolutions that you can think of or anything that would be cool to do in 2025?
Speaker 7:Really just going back home more often and seeing my family more often.
Speaker 1:We lost my mom this year, so I want to see Back home Oregon, right, washington, washington, sorry.
Speaker 7:Yeah, no, you're good. Um. So yeah, I just want to try and maintain good, strong family ties with them, Cause my brother, he lost the whole right front low of his brain in a car accident when he was 20.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 7:So he's not able to be by himself. So, unfortunately, when my father passes, I'll end up having to go up there and like get rid of everything and move him down here. So yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's a great resolution for everybody to have make it back home more, spend more time with people you care and love about, because you never know. So that's a great goal 2025, just more trips back home.
Speaker 7:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Love that.
Speaker 7:Definitely.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, monique, thank you so much. I'm excited for 2025. You've been here for a few years now, so it's fun to see you growing personally and professionally just throughout your life.
Speaker 7:So it's very fun, I mean with this role, I have more time to actually focus on family now.
Speaker 1:So it's kind of nice.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 7:I was only until what, like the last part of this year, that you know I had that extra time, so it's like yeah, be able to take it.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's awesome.
Speaker 7:Exactly so. It'll be great Be great, okay.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks, monique. Okay, now we have Vincent, who's our self-appointed assistant manager of the office, Monique's son. He comes in when he can and he's on Christmas break. So, vincent, what's your favorite?
Speaker 4:personal memory of 2024? Probably to come into the office and spend time with everyone here Just helping as much as I can with everyone.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. It's a great memory of mine as well. It's fun every time you're able to come in when you don't have school. What's your favorite senior care memory or story from this last year?
Speaker 4:um, so there's this actually one funny time about when we got my dog. It's when we got my dog, um he was trying, he, he was like we got into we, so we got sniff spot and we, yeah, and we went into this backyard, um, he tried he, we got a pool and we thought he would love it no he just stayed out of the pool that's so funny. We just had to always every time he was panting we just had to pick him up and put him in the pool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that sounds like my dog. She doesn't like water at all, which is funny.
Speaker 4:And he's a big dog, so you can kind of guess on how we can't pick him up, so we just have to let him sit there.
Speaker 1:That's funny. I might know the answer, but what was your favorite Christmas present from yesterday?
Speaker 4:Probably to spend time with my family.
Speaker 1:I didn't expect you to say that. That's a great answer, vincent. Wow, that's so sweet. Your mom told us that you got an iPad, so it's great. Good on you saying that you wanted to spend time with your family. That was the best part. That was my favorite part of yesterday, too. Spending time with family. Okay, part um, that was my favorite part of yesterday, too. Spending time with family. Okay, looking into 2025, this next year um, what is a personal goal that you have or something that you want to do?
Speaker 4:I, I probably, probably. I'm just hoping I get into fourth grade. That's a good goal fourth grade.
Speaker 1:Third grade can be tough to finish it out um. What's a work goal that you have as the honorary office assistant manager?
Speaker 4:Probably to help as many people as I can.
Speaker 1:That's a really good goal. Okay, what advice do you have to everybody that works with old people?
Speaker 4:Okay, what advice do you have to everybody that works with old people?
Speaker 1:To stick with what you're doing and just try as hard as you can. That's really good advice, very good advice. Okay, thank you, vincent. It's so fun having you in over Christmas break. Now we have Vanessa. She's relatively new at Helperly. We snagged her from her previous role and I'm really excited that she's here. So, vanessa, we're kind of reflecting on 2024 and then looking at 2025. So what is a favorite personal memory that you have from 2024?
Speaker 3:My favorite personal memory is my youngest little girl. She's 5. She started kindergarten and so just seeing her super excited to learn and go to school and all of that she's very outgoing and thriving in fact, she's had to tone it down a little bit.
Speaker 1:She's very animated and yeah that's so fun.
Speaker 3:In fact, she's had to tone it down a little bit. Yeah, she's very animated, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's so fun. Yeah, you've only been in the senior care space for like a few weeks.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What's your favorite memory so far?
Speaker 3:I don't have a specific memory with. Helperly, but I was raised by my grandparents.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And so my grandma's like my mom.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And so my grandma's like my mom, and so I have lots of opportunities to help her out but also to make the holidays good. And so yesterday at Christmas we were at her house and it's so fun to see her light up when people come, when people come and just company there. She doesn't want anything, she's 90. She just wants people. She just wants to be surrounded by people.
Speaker 1:I love that. Yeah, it really is like a lot of the times even very well supported and loved seniors, like a lot of the times even very well supported and loved seniors you know, they still just crave and desire company, somebody to talk to and not even talk to. Like my grandpa sitting in the corner like by the fire. He just is like in bliss as everybody's playing and having fun, so that's an awesome.
Speaker 3:I feel like they it's. It's not like you said, it's not necessarily people there, but feeling like they have a place and and and a purpose. Even you know, as they get older, because you, you have to get used to different things, your different roles. You're at a different phase in your life.
Speaker 1:And that transition can be really hard. Yeah, I love that. Ok, so what was with Christmas, your favorite moment and then favorite present that you got?
Speaker 3:My favorite moment. My favorite moment was cooking in the kitchen.
Speaker 1:You're quite the chef and baker. I love to cook, yes, and so my husband was making rolls, like you do.
Speaker 4:Like you do, you know, and I was, making my dad's famous like sausage gravy.
Speaker 3:you know to do biscuits and gravy in the morning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll have to have a I, so a thing on my mission. It was like six months in. I started making biscuits and gravy every single. Sunday from scratch, so we'll have to compare recipes, please. I would love to try. I can make a meat gravy your dad's you phrased it perfect, your dad's favorite or your famous, yeah, and so I'm like okay, way better than mine. Probably We'll see so, but no it just like that's I mean.
Speaker 3:Those are some of my favorite. It's special with Christmas morning and having songs, play and cooking. That's so sweet. And my favorite gift is probably I'm wearing it right now. My husband got it for me. We're disgusting and cute because we've only been married for like a year and a half.
Speaker 1:We're disgusting.
Speaker 3:So it's a. We both have one. They're like little bracelets.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you tap it twice and it'll flash, and then you tap it again and it sends him, it vibrates on his side. Oh and it's like you can go onto like the app and do something specific.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like.
Speaker 3:I need you.
Speaker 4:Oh, it's like a different. Yeah, it would be like red yeah.
Speaker 6:But like just thinking about you, we're both really busy, and we're both really busy, and so it's nice to get that like hey, I'm not going to sit here and text you but I love you.
Speaker 1:I need to get one for Em and I. That is disgusting and cute.
Speaker 3:It's super disgusting and cute it's like, but it's not like. I mean there's no GPS on it.
Speaker 1:It's just like hey thinking about you, yeah, that's so clever I, it's just like hey thinking about you. Yeah, that's so clever. I'll have to get the link. Emma will love that Her birthday is coming up. I'll get it for her birthday.
Speaker 3:There you go, if you don't mind me stealing. You? Yeah, I mean, it was his idea. He's adorable and cute yeah.
Speaker 1:That's so sweet. Okay, looking forward to 2025,. What is a personal resolution?
Speaker 3:personal resolution something you want to do be something. Personal resolution I've been thinking about this a lot. I know everyone's always like I want to, you know, lose x amount of weight and stuff. I would just love to be more active. Nice, um, I don't care if I don't lose a single pound. Um, I just want to be active and and uh and like participate in life, because I I found myself a lot, especially since covid um, kind of like I don't really want to go anywhere like I'm good netflix, I used to watch.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I am still watching.
Speaker 3:Yes, thank you very much uh, but even more walks, more drives, more just just getting out and being more active.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I will never be a crazy hiker. I will never do anything like that. But, yeah, I, I want. I want to give my kids an opportunity to learn, because that's not my thing. But how do they know if it's not their thing if they don't try?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, that'll be way fun. Just try new ways of moving.
Speaker 3:Try new ways of moving.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, that's sweet.
Speaker 3:As long as it's not too hot or too cold or too windy and I don't get too sweaty, yeah, and then I'll be fine. Perfect, I'll be totally fine.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Um so, like I said, you've been at Help Relief like less than a month, almost a month.
Speaker 3:Uh-huh, almost a month.
Speaker 1:Now going into 2025, what's a work or senior care goal that you have?
Speaker 3:Um, I would love to um learn our clients by more by their names, and um we throw around names a lot. I help with, you know, scheduling and everything. But I work more with the caregivers and so a lot of times I'm pulling up caregivers and helpers and figuring that stuff out. But at the end of the day it needs to be a good fit to know our clients more, especially ones that have maybe additional needs that are not our typical kind of help. That way I can help them get what they need.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome. That's a great goal. That was something I mentioned is like helping try to get every caregiver client to be like a 10 out of 10. Yeah, obsessed with each other, just awesome.
Speaker 3:Right, like it's not just like this stranger that comes over and does my dishes. You know, it's, this is, you know, Becca, and she has three kids and yeah, you know, and we both love. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, we both love art.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, we both have read Harry Potter 17 times, you know yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome. I love that goal. Well, vanessa, I'm excited that you're here. 2025 is going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:Heck, yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:Especially for people that don't know, the two minute conversation we had Vanessa is clearly a lot of fun to just chat with.
Speaker 3:I'm definitely the personality hire in this office.
Speaker 1:It's all right, I'll keep it together. I'll keep it together, yep.
Speaker 3:The morale booster.
Speaker 1:Wow Okay, thanks Okay.