The Oregon Caregiver SPRING/SUMMER 2023 www.ohca.com 22 meeting with people in person. I think overall, as an introverted person, I didn’t think I’d love talking to someone so much. I’ve definitely been feeling the need for personal connection, especially with our residents and our employees. I’m all about building the foundation in anything in my life. I think to be a really great caregiver, a great med tech, a great leader, you need to build and grow your foundation. We lost sight of that during COVID-19; we didn’t have a choice. So, now people are hungry for it and I’m there to support. What kind of advice do you have for folks who want to get their foot in the door in long term care? If I could give any advice, it would be to come in with an open mind. I think you need to come with a heart of caring for people. I also think people should go visit a community and see what it’s like and experience what we experience every day. You can’t be afraid to jump in. We have a lot that we are responsible for. We’re responsible for lives and you’re looking at an opportunity to really honor people through their end-of-life and to support their quality of life. For people of color entering the field, my advice is you have to come into this industry with true understanding of the history and how people were raised and their cultural differences and be open to educating and training people. You’ve got to understand that people are not coming from a bad place overall. If you can come into this industry with that attitude, you really can inspire a lot of people if you do it right. Afra Mayfield and her family participate in the End Alzheimer’s Walk. » PROFILE, CONT. PROFILE
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