Along with moms everywhere, there’s another group of caretakers who can also use some extra TLC. Those in various social support positions juggle a myriad of responsibilities in jobs that are usually poorly compensated and unheralded, as Maria de la Guardia well knows. The Buckhead resident and owner of Assisted Living Locators works with case managers, social workers and other support professionals while matching older adults with assisted living or personal care homes.
“We know that social workers don’t have a lot of time for all the families they have to work with, no less themselves,” said de la Guardia. “They are constantly on the go. We can’t lessen their workload, but we wanted a way to show that we appreciate what they do. We wanted to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of everyone they work with.”
De la Guardia took her idea to Charlene Bastien of the hair care company Strength of Nature, and the result was “Restored and Renewed,” a free morning of pampering and beauty for 45 local social workers. The event, held at the Georgia Institute of Cosmetology and Esthetics in Lilburn, kicked off with a breakfast, motivational speakers on health and empowerment, and several hours of facials, manicures, pedicures and new hair styles.
“We wanted to do real pampering, and to do it properly, it was important to do it where they had everything in place,” said de la Guardia. “The students volunteered their time, and it was a terrific event.”
De la Guardia found the participants by hand-delivering invitations to names she amassed from her own contacts and recommendations.
“We do a lot of continuing education events with social workers and case managers, so I’ve got a database of about 500 people,” she said. “In the end, we wound up with patient advocates, counselors, some people from the big hospitals and hospices.”
One of those who attended was Nancy Leveille, a Duluth resident and case manager for Kaiser Permanente who enjoyed a manicure, facial and makeup application.
“Normally, I get information about events that are educational, but this one was different,” she said. “It was about taking care of ourselves. I thought it was very generous to provide all those services; it was a nice gesture.”
Kennesaw’s Cathy Anderson, a chaplain at Northside Hospital, got five of her coworkers together, and all spent the morning unwinding.
“I thought it was a great idea,” she said. “I had a facial and got my hair done. The services and the food were terrific. And I got to network with other people.”
De la Guardia is already thinking about repeating the successful event next year.
"We know we'll get a higher response," she said. "I've already planned for about 60. Hopefully, it will become an annual thing for us to show how we appreciate what they do. They're usually dealing with one crisis after another, so it was nice that we could let them relax a bit."
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Every other Wednesday, H.M. Cauley brings you positive stories from our community. To suggest a story idea, e-mail hm_cauley@yahoo.com.
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