Q: After a 15-year admin job, I wanted more control in my schedule. It was risky, but I found a website for caregiving, which offered me that opportunity. I registered my profile, and choose my services, my pay rate and my hours. Some clients live in senior care facilities; some live in homes with their adult children; and some still live on their own. As an independent contractor, I work wherever my clients are. Potential clients contact me according to my profile.

The process is this: I interview the person in charge of hiring the caregiver while that person interviews me. I decide if the client is a good fit. Some need physical care, while others need companionship. As an independent caregiver, I control how long the assignment lasts. Here are two examples of clients — one a good fit, the other not.

Larry (not his real name) was my favorite client and also the one requiring the most effort from me. First, he needed body care; he'd recovered from a stroke and had ambulatory challenges (started out on a walker, then a wheelchair, and finally, he remained bedridden). On the positive side, he lived at a 5-star retirement facility where a staff caregiver could help bathe him. Second, his dementia slowly worsened, and he sometimes forgot what country he was in, so he needed this type of facility. I found creative ways to engage him, and we enjoyed many conversations. He needed companionship. This was my favorite service to provide.

One afternoon when I arrived, Larry sat in his wheelchair staring into space. He said, "Boy, am I glad you're here. I was lonely." His daughter said he never talked openly to her, and she credited me for bringing it out in him. We would go to cultural activities together, talk politics, watch TV and reminisce. I'd help get him ready for bed and then leave. After two years, the family decided it was best to move him into hospice where he passed away. They asked me to write and read something about him at the memorial service. Working with Larry was deeply rewarding because it required me to use a wide array of skills, but mostly because I was a comfort to him.

Marty and Tom, by comparison, were in better health than Larry. They needed no body care, but they were both in the latter stages of dementia. Lucy, who had hired me, was married to Tom and Marty was her father. It was unusual to have two clients with dementia in one home. Lucy was always upstairs in her home office. I was to keep the men occupied downstairs. I wasn't sure it was a workable situation, but I was willing to try. By the second week, I realized I'd made a horrible mistake.

Lucy went upstairs when I arrived, and Tom started to follow her. I joked with him to stay downstairs, but I wound up having to physically block him from ascending. Tom stared daggers into me, fuming with jealous rage as if I were keeping him from his wife. When that didn't work, he put on his coat and headed for the front door. I asked where he was going and he replied, "None of your business."

I said, "You can't leave," and I blocked him from the door. "Screw you. Get out of my way!" he shouted. He looked like he was about to punch me.

I shouted for Lucy to come down and I said this assignment was impossible to manage safely. She understood.

Caregiving is growing as the population ages, and robots cannot yet replace caregivers. Being a caregiver has allowed me to experience the rewards and risks of being my own boss. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

A: Thank you for sharing such personal work experiences. You have helped lead those who have longed for an independent type of employment.

Email LindseyNovak@yahoo.com with all workplace experiences and questions. For more information, visit www.lindseyparkernovak.com and for past columns, see www.creators.com/read/At-Work-Lindsey-Novak.

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