Editor’s note: Home Sweet Home is a feature appearing Mondays in McKnight’s Home Care Daily. The story focuses on a heartwarming, entertaining or quirky happening affecting the world of home care. If you have a topic that might be worthy of the spotlight in Home Sweet Home, please email Caroline Szacnowski at at [email protected].
A career pivot is the last thing most people do when they turn 68, but most people aren’t Carol Beachem. After a long career in government service, Beachem decided to become a licensed certified nursing assistant in North Carolina. That was 20 years ago.
Today, the 88-year-old is still working as a CNA for Los Angeles, CA-based Arosa and still loves caring for people.
“I am thankful that I am still able to do what I do, and I absolutely love contributing to society, and helping those that can’t help themselves,” Beachem said.
Beachem works roughly 52 hours a week and has the energy of someone half her age. As for retirement, Beachem is dismissive. “Not until God’s ready for me to do that,” she said.
As it turns out, a career shift into caregiving later in life isn’t all that unusual.
About 500 miles up the Atlantic Coast, Blessing Ogieva, 62, is providing care for Arosa clients in New Jersey. Ogieva came to the United States in 1978 from Nigeria to attend college, studying hotel and restaurant management. Following graduation, she went back to Nigeria to work for Nigeria’s government-owned petroleum company.
In 2007, Ogieva returned to the U.S. to care for her grandchildren but then decided to pursue a new career as a home health aide. Ogieva joined Arosa in 2013 and the rest is history. But her story doesn’t end there. Ogieva sends 100% of her wages back to her home country to support orphanages and programs for widows and single mothers.
Clearly, Beachem and Ogieva are both proof that it’s possible to find life’s calling at any age.
This article originally appeared on McKnight's Senior Living
