Vicki Bailiff knows a thing or two about icing on the cake. The West Des Moines caregiver and former cake decorator received a treat when she was named Caregiver of the Year at Right at Home’s national conference on April 27.
“I get asked every once in a while, ‘How can we clone you?’” Bailiff told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “I know I have amazing clients and I know that a lot of their family is involved in what we do with them. They’re all thankful and they appreciate everything that we do for them. Doing something small, like bringing in Christmas cookies, that just makes things better for them.”
Bailiff brings the right ingredients to caregiving. She was chosen for the award from over 25,000 caregivers, recognized for her willingness to go above and beyond for those in her care. This past holiday season, donning a Santa hat, Bailiff visited each client’s home with a small gift and a stocking filled with goodies she baked and wrapped. While some may call it going the extra mile, she just sees it as being part of the job.
“Caregiving is not for just anybody. You have to have something special about you,” Bailiff said. “You have to be on top of your game all the time. You have to have a very warm and caring heart to do this job.”
After her mother’s passing and losing her father within weeks of starting her job, Bailiff understands the importance of empathy in her profession. Because of this, she tries to sprinkle some kindness on every client encounter.
“Every time I go into a client’s home, I’m like ‘What would I want somebody to do for my dad, or what would I want somebody to do for my mom?’” said Bailiff. “When you meet a new [client], they get so excited because they’re like ‘Oh she’s a nice person.’ It makes you feel good knowing that even if I go fill in somebody’s position, I have people [asking] ‘Why can’t I have her?’”
Home Sweet Home is a feature appearing Mondays in McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. 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 Special Projects Coordinator Foster Stubbs at [email protected].
