It wasn't because he discovered KWA that led Gregory Schaefer to donate his time and skills to the Korean Women's Association. KWA found him on LinkedIn and invited him to apply for the Home Care Director position, which they claimed he was best suited for. thank you.
“I previously worked at Full Life Care in King County, which also serves seniors and vulnerable adults. After nearly 10 years there, he decided he was ready to explore other avenues. ” he said. After taking some time off to take care of my family and myself, I was hired to take on this big job at KWA. ”
Mr. Schaefer's work ethic and dedication are evident as he joined Full Life Care as a temporary employee assisting with audits and paperwork. It didn't take long for him to be promoted to supervisor, manager, and then director.
Currently working as KWA's home care director. Schafer oversees all KWA In Home Care office locations We serve all of Western Washington, from urban areas like Seattle, Tacoma, and Lakewood to rural areas like Sequim, Centralia, and Long Beach.
“As part of the KWA team, I'm excited to help communities across Western Washington. All of these communities have unique situations where people want to stay age-appropriate,” said Schaefer. . They don't want to be institutionalized when they may not have family or close friends to take care of them. ”
It's a big responsibility for Schaefer to strive for improvement. KWA is the agency of choice for Medicaid clients in Western Washington, built on the legacy of the immigrant women who founded KWA more than 50 years ago. Its work is rooted in love and respect for immigrants, the elderly and people with disabilities, who face the same challenges today as they did back then. KWA is inclusive of all people, both in its employment practices and those served by nonprofit organizations.
“For a caregiver who may be here to help someone, it can be life-changing. It's great for an elderly or vulnerable adult to be able to have dignity in their home,” Schaefer said. said.
Mr. Schaefer is involved in the “fundamentals” and big picture aspects of KWA's long-term care business.
“Make sure you have the right systems in place to identify carers, train carers, and ensure that carers are supported and able to do the work they need to do to keep someone safe, healthy and together. It's my job to make sure they feel safe.'' Dignity can be things like bathing, shopping, reminding people to take their medication, accompanying them to a doctor's appointment, or just asking how they're feeling, what they want to do today, or what they need help with. . ”
This reflects the close attention KWA pays to each individual on the home care team, and Schaefer believes that each KWA office demonstrates strong communication skills and actively encourages caregivers to do a good job. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation to ensure that all appropriate operations are being performed. Elderly customers can be satisfied and feel good about where they live.
Schaefer explained: “Being a caregiver means going into someone's home. It's an adventure to get to know a new person, meet them where they are, and support them. The staff in our office We need to make sure we're supporting them properly. Well, just to check on them and see how things are going.”
Schafer's work continues in the footsteps of his parents, both of whom worked in the medical field. His father is a physician, his mother has held numerous medical-related positions, including managing the corporate library for the American College of Family Physicians, and his mother was manager of the sarcoma clinic at Sprint Center Healthcare in the Kansas City area, where she began her career. I finished.
Their son didn't start out working in the medical industry. His formal educational background was in art. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Arizona State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Washington.
“My background is as an artist, so I use creative problem-solving skills and visualization as important business tools. Through studying art and being an artist, I learned ideas about collaboration, education, and problem-solving. ” he said.
Once Schaefer discovered the field of nursing during his tenure at Full Life Care, it opened up to him and he fully embraced it as a profession. He said the bonus was Washington State has one of the most developed home health programs in the country, with some of the most rigorous training, background checks, and continuing education requirements.
“Caregivers who have worked with clients for decades. Clients will tell you that this caregiver changed my life, that they couldn't live without this caregiver. That in itself is an attention-getter. “It's not a job to collect. It's something that helps our community stay vibrant, even if it's not putting up a big sign,” he said.
“Wouldn't it be great if a paid caregiver could look after you at home, rather than being forced into a living situation you don't want? We're all getting older and needing help at some point. Please support these services for our future.
KWA's home care system is organized, ethnically diverse, and technologically proficient to provide excellent service to clients through office staff and caregivers who maintain the health of vulnerable adults. It contributes greatly to our reputation.
KWA is growing and hiring more leadership positions and caregivers. We are currently hiring for several excellent KWA leadership positions in Pierce County. Crime Victim Advocate (must be able to speak English and Spanish). Operations manager. Finance Manager (Lakewood); Caregiver (Tacoma); Home Caregiver (Tacoma, must be bilingual in English, Korean, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian or Vietnamese). and Personal Care Assistant (Tacoma).
To learn about and apply for these positions, visit kwacares.org/careers.
