Meet Nedra Henry: COHME Home Health Aide

By Katerina Yang

Nedra is from Jamaica. She has been working with COHME for about 6 years and loves her job. It allows her to showcase her ability to take care of the elderly. In her free time, Nedra enjoys spending time at home, praying, listening to music, and talking to family and friends.

Let’s get to know a little more about Nedra:

What inspired you to enter this field?

Back home, I took care of my great-grandparents, which sparked my passion for caring for the elderly. Before joining COHME, I worked with another agency, looking after patients. I found COHME through a job agency, and it felt like the perfect fit for me.

What’s it like working as a home health aide?

I really enjoy my job. I do my clients' laundry, cook for them, take them to doctor’s appointments, go shopping, and even go for walks together. To me, there's not much difference between supporting patients and assisting the elderly. I’m just used to helping people.

What do you enjoy about working with older adults?

I enjoy having conversations with them and hearing their stories, mostly daily chats about things like whether they want to go home, memories of their husbands, and their travel stories.

What are some challenges you've faced?

I don’t find much of a challenge in working with the elderly, because I’m used to handling difficult cases. I have experience taking care of patients and have received training in Alzheimer’s disease, which has given me the skills to manage such cases effectively.

How have your career goals evolved?

My career goals have evolved from taking care of patients to focusing on the elderly. I now see working with the elderly as my long-term career goal. It's fulfilling to work with them. Sometimes, they share stories with you that you wouldn't expect. For example, one of my clients told me about a country they had traveled to that I had never even heard of.

Has this work changed you?

I've learned to work with different people and manage various tasks. Some tasks may seem difficult at first, but I'm confident in my skills and experience, so I always find a way to tackle the challenging ones.

How do you balance work and life?

I don't think about work-life balance often. Work has been a major part of my life. I've dedicated myself to my job and simply wait for the next task.

What’s been your biggest reward?

My biggest reward is seeing my patients get happier. I try my best to make them feel joy by engaging in conversations, listening to their needs, taking walks with them, accompanying them to the store, and feeding them delicious meals.