Congratulations to our July Aide of the Month, Mariah Nelson! Mariah received her Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) training through Family & Children’s Service and has been with the agency for 12 years. When asked what inspired Mariah to become a CHHA she explained “I saw the need to help people and when I saw how gratified I felt after caring for my clients, I thought this is what I should do.”

All of FCS’s CHHAs must successfully complete 76 hours of specialized training, pass a competency evaluation and undergo a criminal background check before becoming certified and licensed by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. CHHAs work under the guidance and direction of a Registered Nurse and must undergo training in personal care skills, including bathing, dressing, shopping, meal preparation, Range of Motion assistance and a variety of other tasks.

Mariah described what a typical day as a CHHA involves, “You have to make sure they are clean, safe, and have food.” Everyday tasks that come as second nature to most people are the same tasks that Mariah’s clients depend on her for. “Sometimes they don’t realize they are without these things, so we are the people who make sure they are clean, dry, safe, and treated the way you would want to be treated.”

Mariah says that most days she is very excited to go to work, and that feeling is reciprocated by her clients who look forward to seeing her. “I love my clients no matter how difficult the case is. I always go in and smile and say “Good morning what a beautiful day!””

She goes on to explain that “occasionally the type of job that you have to do is stressful, and sometimes the homes that you go into are stressful but when you hear “without you, I don’t know what would happen to me,” it gives you motivation to get through the next day.”

Mariah was chosen to be Aide of the Month because of the exemplary compassion and care she consistently offers to all of her clients. When asked what piece of advice she would give to someone considering becoming a Certified Home Health Aide she advises “Go for it. If you have love in your heart, go for it. To be a good Aide is to love people. No matter how bad they feel there is some good quality that you can pull out.”

Mariah admits that Family & Children’s Service will always hold a special place in her heart. She explains that “even though I had been doing work like this before, FCS is the place that gave me my certification.”

Thank you Mariah for your dedication to FCS and congratulations on being named Aide of the Month!