Jean Trapal, a caregiver, provides a window into the life of a caregiver.
“For me, caregiving is a commitment. Not just a job” - says Jean Trapal, a caregiver and an activist for Filipina caregivers’ rights, in a speech she gave during the Adva Center’s conference about the caregiving shortage in Israel. Jean provided conference participants with a much-needed point of view from a caregivers herself, while also reminding the audience that we all have a great responsibility to those who need caring for. Her heart-warming words touched everyone in the crowd. “The elderly person is special. They deserve love, care, effort and time. Not only from us, but also from you – the children. They need us, yes, they need us. This is a selfless kind of job and a vulnerable one too. We talk about life, about their lives. That’s the reason we are committed to them. We have an personal relationship with them, like with our own parents. Sometimes it’s like we have a baby; we can go outside at any time of the day and we will still think about them. That is how much we love your parents. This is how much we love your grandparents. This is how much we love them. Caregiving for me is like a call.”
Jean’s words in the conference remind us just how important it is to hear the voices of caregivers who take care of so many people in this country. They are too often seen as “merchandise,” stripped of their humanity. We must pay attention to their voices and experiences, in order to deepen our understanding of the caregiving profession so that we all can solve the care deficit problem in Israel together. Click here to watch the full video (English).
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