Home Caregiver Recognitions
Our Case Managers meet to choose a Caregiver for Angel of the Month. A Case Manager will generally nominate someone with an explanation as to why this person is chosen. The Caregiver is notified that they have been selected and comes into the office for a full celebration. This person is honored with treats, a certificate, gift card and the Case Manager that selected them will read a full write-up about why they were chosen. The Caregiver is interviewed and then featured in the monthly newsletter as well as on Facebook. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has the most amazing team of people to care for our Clients. Our Caregivers work tirelessly with their Case Managers to ensure top-quality care.
Angel of the Month
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Sallay Mboyawa
April 2024
Visiting Angels Newton/Canton is proud to name Sallay Mboyawa our Angel of the Month for April 2024. Over the past nine years, thirteen different Visiting Angels clients have had the pleasure of inviting her into their homes and experiencing firsthand exactly what our agency is all about. Sallay’s approach to every interaction with her clients comes with an enduring warmth and a lot of passion. She makes sure they know they’re in good hands.“I love what I do because I’m helping people and making them happy,” Sallay said. “I tell people that you have to be very caring and have patience because it’s not an easy job.”
Yet it’s a job she felt was her calling from a very early age when she had the opportunity to travel the world with her family. Eldercare was very different in places like Greece and the UK, and for her, that’s how her love of caring for seniors started. Sallay explained, “I noticed everyone’s family was involved, and it was inspiring to watch. That’s when I realized I had the heart and passion for it, too.” Before long, she found herself taking care of her great grandmother and then other members of her own family.
Sallay had already been working as a professional caregiver for over 14 years when a Visiting Angels caregiver, who happened to be a family friend, encouraged Sallay to apply. Her kindheartedness and top-notch caregiving abilities earned her our Angel of the Month award in June 2016, a little more than one year after she started here. Her very first case with us, by all accounts, was a challenging one, but Sallay received high praise from the client’s family. They were immensely grateful for Sallay’s compassion and dedication throughout the client’s difficult transition to a nursing home. Sallay then found herself matched with a client who she’d be taking care of for the next five years—now, that’s dedication!
“I just love helping people, especially when they appreciate what I do. It makes me feel proud that I’m a part of their lives,” Sallay said. “And when the family appreciates what you do, it makes me even happier. It makes me want to go back every day.”
This is the positive energy and attitude Visiting Angels case managers have come to know whenever they schedule Sallay to be with a client. She’s trustworthy, reliable, and dedicated to her work. It’s emblematic of the Visiting Angels way and why she’s being recognized as our Angel of the Month once again.
“The connections she makes with her clients and their families has always impressed me,” Julie McBain, Director of Client Services, said. “She really takes the time whenever she starts with a new client to learn everything about them. This investment helps her provide positive motivations and ultimately tend to their needs.”
Because every client is different, making connections right away can be difficult for a lot of caregivers. Sallay, however, has learned how to adapt and be ready for anything. For example, Sally is currently scheduled for over 30 hours a week with one client. Case Manager Michael Albrecht couldn’t be happier with the job she has done taking care of him, even though the overnights can be demanding. Michael said, “Her shifts with our client are often unpredictable because his care needs can change very quickly, but she successfully manages anything that comes up in the most compassionate and professional way imaginable.”
The client’s wife praised Sallay for her wonderfully warm personality and ability to make others laugh and smile. “Sallay knows exactly what she needs to do when she’s here,” she said.
Sallay believes that when someone is sick, can’t help themselves, or has lost their independence entirely, it can be very frustrating for them, so she does everything she can to not get frustrated herself. “I just try to put myself in their shoes,” she said. “A good support system makes all the difference in the world, too. At the end of the day, I know I can always contact the office for assistance if I need it.” That’s something our case managers are happy to do because they know they can rely on her to provide an outstanding level of care and attention to clients, even if she has every reason to be exhausted.
“Sometimes I’ll call her to potentially fill-in for another caregiver,” Michael said. “She’ll pick up the phone after an overnight shift and still manage to sound like she just came back from a great vacation!”
Senior Case Manager, Elizabeth Quagraine, has known Sallay for years now and said she still sounds just as energetic as the first day she met her. “She’s always been extremely passionate about taking care of her clients and making sure their needs are met,” Elizabeth said. “They don’t make them all like Sallay. She’s a special one that we’d love to clone if we could.”
Support from team members like Elizabeth and Michael are what Sallay appreciates the most about working for Visiting Angels. She knows she can always pick up the phone and speak with them, or any of the other case managers, if she needs some encouragement or has a schedule conflict that might affect her ability to see a client. “They’re just wonderful, and I can’t say enough nice things about them,” Sallay said.
Sallay, for almost a decade now, your commitment to our clients and their well-being has been nothing less than inspiring—it’s evident in every visit you make. You are a genuine reflection of what it means to be a Visiting Angel, and we are extremely proud to recognize you as our Angel of the Month for April 2024. Our clients and every member of our office team thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you do and look forward to your continued success with Visiting Angels Newton/Canton!
Sallay Mboyawa - AOM March 2024.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Marie Ketsia Daille
March 2024
Marie Ketsia Daille - AOM March 2024.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Maliza
February 2024
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Ruth Ellis
January 2024
Ruth Ellis AOM January 2024.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Andell Sylvester
October 2023
Andell Sylvester AOM November 2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Dawna Nogueira
September 2023
Dawna-Nogueira-AOM-September-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Kettly Aurelus
August 2023
Kettly-Aurelus-AOM-August-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Eileen Duggan
July 2023
Eileen-Duggan-AOM-July-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Pat Durrant-Campbell
June 2023
Pat-Durrant-Campbell-AOM-June-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Sheila Small
May 2023
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Sandy Souza
April 2023
Sandy-Souza-AOM-April-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Glorieuse Antoine
March 2023
Glorieuse-Antoine-AOM-March-2023
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Leonie Benson
February 2023
Leonie-Benson-AOM-February-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Raxanne Wright
January 2023
Raxanne-Wright-AOM-January-2023.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Karen Breen
December 2022
Karen-Breen-AOM-December-2022.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Nadya Harriet
November 2022
Nadya-Harriet-AOM-November-2022.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Betie Mondestin
October 2022
Betie-Mondestin-AOM-October-2022.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Marie Bellefleur-Raymond
September 2022
MarieBellefleur-Raymond_AOM_September2022
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Paul Geneus
July 2022
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Nosa Ogbebor
June 2022
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Kettlie Juste
May 2022
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Williams Ejimonyeabala
April 2022
newton-WilliamsEjimonyeabala_AOM_APRIL2022.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Rody Fils-Aime
March 2022
newton-RodyFils-Aime_AOM_MARCH2022.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH | Mirla Joseph
January 2022
newton-MirlaJoseph_AOM_JANUARY2022.pdf
ANGEL OF THE MONTH 2021 Awardees
ANGEL OF THE MONTH 2020 Awardees
ANGEL OF THE MONTH 2019 Awardees
ANGEL OF THE MONTH 2018 Awardees
Special Recognitions
Timeless Gratitude to Alice Kimani
No, this is not a new award we’re giving, but a special commendation to Alice Kimani, who gave live-in care to one of our clients. One night in November 2016, she was awakened by the smell of smoke. There was a fire in the garage, which quickly spread to the rest of the house - but not before Alice successfully evacuated the senior whom she was caring for, as well as the adult son. The house was burned to the ground, fed by a full tank of heating oil. Two cars in the driveway, one of them Alice’s, were melted. But thanks to Alice’s heroism, nobody was injured, except for the senior’s pet cat, which unfortunately perished. Alice, we think that you are wonderful!
Tama Lewis – Massachusetts Home Care Alliance 2009 Aide of the Year
The HCA has 150 member agencies employing over 19,000 home health aides, and one of our very own was chosen as the 2009 Home Care Star Award Aide of the Year. Tama embodies the essence of what every family wants in a home care aide: skill, good judgment, compassion, integrity, kindness, reliability, good humor, caring, wisdom, dedication, warmth and respect in dealing with seniors. She has been with Visiting Angels for five years, but like all our caregivers, she came to us with years of experience in giving care to seniors.
For four years she was the lead caregiver to a man named Joe, who had no family or friends to help in his declining years. Although he had Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, with Tama's care he was able to remain at home, where he wanted to be. When she came on the case, his health was declining rapidly despite ongoing medical attention. Soon Joe's deteriorating health began to improve as Tama made sure that he got a healthy diet and took his medications. His home got cleaner, and his appearance improved. Eventually Tama was joined by other caregivers, but she remained the lead person of the team that organized his life, did the shopping, got him to medical appointments, cleaned his house, prepared meals and kept him clean. With help from Tama and the rest of our team, Joe attended his Masons meetings, continued his treasured Saturday evening buffet at the Marriott, and visited places where he had spent his youth. When he developed pancreatic cancer, he died at home with Tama by his side. She was the closest thing to family that he had.
At Visiting Angels of Newton & Canton, we are proud of our reputation with our many referral sources and clients who note the excellence of our services and the quality of the people that we employ. That reputation rests on providing home care with men and women like Tama Lewis since 2004. As deserving as she is of the award, Visiting Angels has many other caregivers who are just as dedicated, give just as much of themselves, and who deserve their own awards. We salute Tama and all of the fine caregivers who work for us and allow seniors the joy of remaining at home where they want to be.
Visiting Angels Newton/Canton is an award-winning accredited home care agency that provides elder care services in Brookline, Newton, Needham, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Canton, Westwood, Dedham, Watertown, Natick, Wellesley, Stoughton, Roslindale, Norwood and nearby areas. If you aspire to be the best caregiver you can be, contact us at 617-795-2727 or fill out the form on our home care careers page.
If you are looking for the best home care services in the Newton/Canton area, contact us at 617-795-2727 or click the button below to tell us about your case. We're ready to help you!
Serving Brookline, Canton, Dedham, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norwood, Stoughton, Watertown, Wellesley and Westwood
Visiting Angels NEWTON/CANTON, MA
29 Crafts St #320Newton, MA 02458
Phone: 617-795-2727
Fax: 617-244-0260