Asy’ari is always an individual that gives a lot to friends, family and even animals around him. Driven by his love for animals, he started a cat rescue mission in his 20s and often connected with the seniors in his neighbourhood. He realised through his interactions, that many seniors needed care. This sparked his interest in home caregiving and led him to join Homage as a Care Pro.
Caregiving from a young age
Asy’ari’s first started assuming the role of caregiving for his two aunts during his early teen years. As his aunts were getting on their age, they were frailer and needed increased personal care support at home.
He saw daily the struggle they had when trying to perform simple daily activities and eventually took on the responsibility of being their primary caregiver. He sees to their daily and medical needs; providing mobility assistance, medication reminders, and he even accompanies them to-and-from hospital visits.
While caring for his aunts and being a cat rescuer, Asy’ari is also a familiar face in his neighbourhood. He is active in the Residents Committee (RCs) and interacts with seniors often, even making home visits to bring them cheer and company. These experiences led him to realise that there are still many in our community who may need care and extra support at home.
Empowered to deliver care to a wider community
Tapping on his experience as a family caregiver and drawing from his motivation to support the wider community, Asy’ari joined Homage as a freelance Care Pro to deliver care to those in need.
He was inspired by the mission of providing accessible care to more in the community. The flexibility in the role allowed him to balance both work and home commitments to care for his aunts.
As a Care Pro, Asy’ari provides support for seniors who need help to perform activities of daily living in the comfort of their homes. These activities can include movements around the house, bathing, grooming, dressing, feeding and beyond.
His care sessions also include morning visits to bathe and groom the seniors which helps them start the day right. He also supports seniors by bringing them to-and-fro their homes and medical appointments safely. While not always easy, he believes that care delivery is about adapting to the personality of an individual and not forcing a one-set-method of delivery.
It’s about the connections and relationships built
Asy’ari believes in the power of building relationships and invests time in connecting with both seniors under his care, as well as their family members. His patience and dedication have often shown to pay off. This is especially evident when seniors overcome their initial resistance towards having a stranger care for them in their homes. Some have even become friends with him.
Asy’ari even goes the extra mile to become the family members’ listener and confidante. He also ensures that there is enough stock of necessities such as diapers and cream for the care recipient. He makes it a point to remind the family whenever restocks for items are needed so that care will not be disrupted.
The families also share that they are often reassured by his meticulous care and appreciates the detailed post-visit summaries after every care visit. This has kept them in the loop on each visit and helped to highlight any important notes to the family.
Asy’ari furthered his passion for delivering care by joining Homage as a full-time Care Pro in 2018.
He shares that he often looks back and appreciates how the dots aligned. He would never have guessed that he would end up as a Care Pro today, and he doesn’t take his role lightly. He understands the importance of continually upgrading his skillsets to provide better care and is determined to increase access to proper care for more seniors.
Today, Asy’ari has touched the lives of over 60 families and continues to deliver care to more in the community daily. He also acts as a mentor for new Homage Care Pros embarking on their caregiving journey. In his free time, he works with youths who are curious to learn more about caregiving.
On what he has learnt through caregiving, he shares:
Every individual wants to start their day right, and it gives me a sense of purpose when I can play a part to help them feel good. I believe that all of us have the potential to share compassion and loving kindness. I’ve learnt a lot over the years while delivering care through Homage, but one of my most significant learning points is to keep quiet when necessary and to listen to their story.
If you share a passion for caregiving like Asy’ari and would like to touch the lives of others, join us as a Homage Care Pro today.
