May 2024 Angel of the Month | Rosemary Atieno
Spring has sprung, and with it comes our newest Angel of the Month. For May 2024, we are happy to honor Rosemary Atieno! Rosemary joined Visiting Angels Newton/Canton in June 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, a very difficult time for caregivers. Since then, Rosemary has provided outstanding service and care to as many as eight different clients. Her energy and enthusiasm for caregiving continues to grow, and it shines through whenever she has the time to reflect on her experience in the field since getting her CNA license in 2010.
“I just love making a positive impact on people’s lives,” Rosemary said. “I know I’ll be old one day, so I want to take care of my clients the same way I want someone to take care of me when I get older.”
Rosemary’s journey as a caregiver began when she was living back home in her native Kenya, taking care of her grandmother for over nine years until she passed away in 2008. Caring for her loved one left an impression on Rosemary, inspiring her to pursue a career in health and wellness when she moved to the United States the following year. Rosemary completed a three-month intensive CNA program at Baltimore Community College, graduating in 2010 before moving north to the Boston area.
Rosemary honed her CNA skills at her local Wingate Assisted Living until it closed in 2020.
Rosemary’s passion for helping others goes well beyond the senior community, too. While working at Wingate and even to this day while working as a Visiting Angel, Rosemary is also a residential care associate at a center for children and adults with developmental and physical disorders. In 2016, she received her bachelor’s degree in exercise and health science and strongly considered a career as a physical therapist. Ultimately though, and fortunately for us, Rosemary decided that she loves being a CNA way too much to go back to school for another three years!
“I would miss all the clients’ stories and their life histories,” Rosemary shared. “For example, I never knew about the depression, but I learned all about it from a client who actually lived through it! And that same client taught me how to do crossword puzzles!”
Ever the dedicated caregiver, Rosemary was disappointed when her local Wingate closed. However, it ultimately opened a new door for her to join us here at Visiting Angels
Newton/Canton. To this day, Rosemary prides herself on remaining aware of what’s happening with her clients as they change over time. She thinks positively when navigating stressful situations and knows that she always has the support of her case manager if what she’s doing isn’t working.
“I always feel comfortable working with Rosemary because she’s dependable and excellent at communicating any client concerns to me,” Case Manager Patrick Murray said.
Senior Case Manager, Elizabeth Quagraine, believes it’s always important to have vigilant caregivers like Rosemary looking after her clients. “When caregivers like Rosemary
communicate with their client’s case manager and let us know what’s going on, we know the clients are safe and in good hands,” Elizabeth said. “You can tell by the way she speaks about her clients that she cares, even after she’s clocked out and off-duty.”
Having been a caregiver for over 15 years now, Rosemary has seen a lot. Some clients may need more assistance getting out of bed and dressed in the morning, while others may just want someone to sit and talk with. Rosemary’s a firm believer that a caregiver has to be ready for anything and always be flexible when it comes to meeting the needs of the client.
“From the beginning, Rosemary has been placed in some very challenging situations,” Director of Client Services Julie McBain said. “However, she has always gained the trust of her clients and their families due to her commitment, hard work, and reliability. Her work with our clients comes from her heart, and it shows.”
Reliability is a word that comes up quite a bit when clients or members of the office team are talking about Rosemary—and evidently the feeling is mutual! “The office is so reliable whenever I call,” Rosemary said. “You’ll always get someone. With other agencies you have to leave a voicemail, and they might call you back!”
Rosemary, from all of us here at Visiting Angels, thank you for the care and compassion you show to all our clients. Your passion for caregiving brings extra warmth to these unpredictable New England spring days when everyone’s just waiting for summer to finally get here already. It’s very fitting that you’re our spring Angel of the Month for May 2024. We wish you a hearty congratulations and look forward to your continued success for years to come!
Rosemary Atieno - AOM May 2024.pdf
About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton
Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA has been providing quality senior adult home care for over eighteen years. Countless families have benefited from our respite care, dementia care, Alzheimer’s home care, companion care for senior adults, 24-hr care, transitional aid, and home care services in Dedham, Needham, Wellesley, Natick, Brookline, Watertown, Norwood, Roslindale, Westwood, Stoughton, Upper Back Bay, Newton, Canton, Jamaica Plain, and neighboring communities. As a result of our exemplary service, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence Award; the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award; and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award from the national client satisfaction survey firm, Home Care Pulse, for six years. We have been honored to receive the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work award for seven years and one of the ten best places to work in Massachusetts in 2021 based on diversity and inclusion. Our dedicated and well-trained caregivers love their CNA and HHA jobs.