Melinda reed writes about starting no worries:
In 1997 No Worries created a new model for providing Premier Comprehensive In-home Care in the Portland Metro area…We included caring for our Caregivers.
I had a dream to create my ideal work environment. My ideal work environment included treating caregivers wonderfully so they, in turn, would treat our clients wonderfully.
Together we have embraced that simple formula and together we have turned that dream into a reality. We have something so special here. We are like a close-knit family and we truly care for each other. Life is not always easy but together we can help each other through the challenges. I think that is one thing that really sets us apart. Our staff longevity is a reflection that caregivers are happy here.
Ours is not a traditional business model. I started with paid mandatory In-services and it didn’t work. When no one came I ditched the traditional model and invited everyone over to my house for a meal, some education and recognition. Guess what? Everyone came!
When we could no longer fit into my house we started having In-services at John’s Incredible Pizza Company. The In-services became paid and mandatory when caregiver education became a State requirement but because In-services are like a family reunion, everyone still comes! Plus we find hilarious ways to present education like our recent skit, “Who You Gonna Call?” with an RN as our “Ghostbuster!”
We are committed to protecting our caregivers. When I watched the news about Ebola and how there was confusion on how to use protective equipment I realized I needed to look into what training we might need. There is a lot of information about training for hospitals but I could not find Ebola training for the In-home Care setting. I decided we would develop an Ebola training program for caregivers and would offer it to any organization who wanted it. We only had 1 ½ weeks to put this program together before our regularly scheduled In-services. We worked long hours, but we did it.
At the Thursday night In-service we had 60 of our Caregivers practicing with gowns, masks, and gloves. I was taking pictures with my phone and had a moment when everyone started to put on their gowns and arms were raised and light flickering off the gowns and it was just a magical moment. Perhaps I was feeling the emotion of working with so many of these Caregivers for years. I want them to be protected. Do I think Ebola will come to Portland? I don’t know, but I do know that these principles apply to strong Blood Borne Pathogens and Infection Control Programs. It was interesting to look through the photos and see Caregivers helping each other getting their gowns on. We had not included the “buddy system” in our training because we provide one-on-one care in the home and don’t have more than one Caregiver in the home at a time. Helping each other comes naturally to our Caregivers. What a privilege it is to work with people like this.