The sight of her mother’s declining health was enough to convince Charleitta Parker that she needed to be her mother’s full-time caregiver. In addition, knowing that she was the last living child of her family was extra motivation to be there for her mom.

“I’m the only living child left,” Charleitta said. “My sister passed away in March of 2014 from cancer and my brother died in 2006. I took care of my sister when she was sick, so I’ve been tasked with taking care of everyone. I started caregiving because I always loved caring for other people,” Charleitta explained.

This love of caring for others is what led Charleitta to initially begin her career as a caregiver. In 2013, she began caring for her mother when her health started to deteriorate. “My mother has arthritis of the spine and it has worsened,” Charleitta said. “Also, she has lost some mobility in her left arm. She can’t do physical therapy because she cannot always stand up.”

Being able to be by her mother’s side everyday gives Charleitta comfort and joy. “She loves to shop,” Charleitta said of her mom. “I take her shopping all the time and she loves Cold Stone. She had surgery last year and I took her to Cold Stone for her first big day out. That made her day. She was so happy and I was happy.”

If you or someone you know is Interested in becoming a caregiver, send us your resume athr@jevsathome.org or call us at (267) 298-1325.