Maria is our February Employee of the Month!

Meet Maria Sousa, Seniors for Seniors February Employee of the Month!

Maria works out of our Toronto branch. She was chosen to be our Employee of the Month because of her positivity and compassionate care towards her clients.

We asked Maria a few questions about working as a senior companion:

1. How did you hear about Seniors for Seniors and why did you decide to join the company?

A career counsellor at a job agency asked me if I was willing to help seniors with their errands for on part-time basis while I took my computer classes for a couple of months. I agreed and so they referred me to Seniors for Seniors. I thought I was going to be a volunteer and not get paid. I got a nice surprise, it was a paying job!

2. What is your favorite companion/caregiver experience or story?

My favourite experiences include learning new cooking skills/recipes. I'm mainly familiar with Portuguese cooking so it has been nice to learn how to cook different foods from different countries. I also enjoy hearing my clients' stories about the good and not so good old days. Believe it or not, I've also acquired some gardening skills from my clients as well.

3. How has Seniors for Seniors benefited your clients?

Seniors for Seniors offers a variety of services that are very useful for people with limited mobility or health issues. But most important is the companionship aspect; because from what I've seen my seniors rarely get visits from other people, neighbours or relatives unfortunately.

4. How has being a Seniors for Seniors companion enriched your life?

As a senior companion I feel that now I appreciate life much more than before.

I'm aware of how important is to look after my health and well-being, and make each day count. As we age we become weaker or seriously sick, therefore doing any small task is a struggle.

I also feel that its important to reach your old age, without feeling too many regrets about how you lived your life.

Want to learn more about being a Senior Companion? You can visit our employment page here.