Janice Watt came to Piedmont Home Care a year and a half ago, but even though she’s become part of our team fairly recently, her work has made a big impact. With 25 years of experience as a CNA, working at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital and other home health care agencies, she brings a depth of knowledge to her work. We spent some time with Janice to get to know more about what she loves about her work with Piedmont Home Care.

What brought you to the field of nursing?

I always enjoyed helping people, and was drawn to the healthcare field. That’s what made me go to get my CNA license. I’ve been doing home care for about 10 years. I find this job so rewarding. My clients are always happy to see me, and I’m happy to be with them. I know that what I do helps them have the quality of life they want.

What brings you joy in your job?

I love helping people do things that make them happy. I have one client who loves to play bingo, so I make sure she gets there. She’s so lucky and she wins a lot. After she’s gotten a few prizes she starts giving her winnings to others, and they love that. It just brings a smile to my face to see her happy. I know she wouldn’t be able to go if I wasn’t there to take her.

How does the work you do help the families of your client?

I think more than anything, for the clients who want to stay home, having someone like me from Piedmont Home Care, who’s trained, it brings them peace of mind. It allows their loved one to stay home, and not have to go to a facility. I do work with some clients who are in assisted living facilities. In one case, having me helped save the family money. They were paying for the meals to be brought to their loved one, but once I came to help out, I could take her to go get her meals, and not only did they save a little, she was getting up and about and seeing people, which is so good for her outlook.

How do you feel your training as a CNA helps you be a better caregiver?

Having that medical training is important, especially for Alzheimer’s patients. It helps you understand their behavior, and has given me the tools I need to do my job well. For example, understanding how to redirect a client or take a different approach to something they might be refusing can help with getting important tasks done. I appreciate that Piedmont Home Care provides training, it helps us be better at our jobs.

What do you enjoy most about working for Piedmont Home Care?

Not only do they really care about their clients, they care about their employees. You can see it in so many different ways. They check in to see how things are going, and are always good to listen and help out if there’s ever an issue. Or they’ll just say they’re letting me know I’m doing a good job, and that right there is rewarding. I also appreciate how the business is run. If they’ve asked me to go take a shift for someone who is sick or had an emergency, the nurse calls ahead to give me the information I need to care for the client, and then will call and check on me during the shift. They don’t just send you out without any background, and it makes a big difference. I wish I had started working here earlier!