Ellen and Me

It’s a cold and rainy November day in Buffalo, N.Y. when Ellen O’Rourke prepares for her day. At 52 years old, O’Rourke has been caregiving for as long as she can remember.

O’Rourke’s family were active participants in church as Ellen grew up, becoming involved in social and welfare programs for people in their community. “There’s so many, so many different things that you can do to help someone else. And I witnessed it as a little kid growing up, and then ... it just became natural for me. It was a natural fit to want to do the same thing.”

“I started babysitting when I was 13, so and it was a full time job, so every single day when I came home from school, I immediately the house was next door, so that was convenient, but I got the kids off the bus, and I made dinner for them and and I was there maybe just three hours, but It was every single day until the mom came home and loved it. I loved it, you know?”

Though caregiving can be seen as a primarily female dominated field, she wants it to be known that caregiving is within the soul of the individual, that being selfless and understanding is the most important aspect to this job.

Ellen began working as a self-directed caregiver for Joanna roughly four months ago, working Fridays and Saturdays with her while also working as a caregiver to two other clients. “You know, seeing the family members be so happy about the care that their their family members are getting. That’s probably the most rewarding. And being now with the self direction, I really, really like it, because I’m working not just with the individual, but with the family.”

Helping Joanna begin her day is how most days start off for Ellen when she works with her. From brushing her teeth, getting dressed, and making her bed, Ellen works to reinforce these habits with Joanna so that she can become more self-sufficient.

Going out into the community and getting out of the house is one of the key highlights of Joanna’s time with Ellen, ensuring she is exposed to different experiences and learning opportunities. “We frequently go shopping together, it’s one of her favorite things to do. She loves shopping at Aldi’s.” “Normally I’ll have her sit in here and let her spend time on her Android tablet while I prep the ingredients then she’ll come in and help me put everything together, she loves to cook.”

“I started working with Joanna over the summer, and even though I’ve only been working with her for about 4 or 5 months, I feel like we’ve made so much progress. Everyday she’s learning new things and it’s so rewarding to see that.”