Care Professional of the Year: Marie!
We received amazing entries for our Care Professional of the Year contest. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. Our contest committee had a very difficult time choosing from such exceptional entries. We congratulate all our Care Professionals – they are all winners!
The Maguire Family nominated their Care Professional Marie!
Our care professional, Marie, deserves to be the Apex Care Professional of the Year!
Marie is an experienced Occupational Therapist, who joined our family for a year in April 2019. We have two children, aged 10 and 11, who have a variety of challenges, including ADHD, SPD, RAD, Dyslexia and Dysgraphia. This can make life very challenging and busy, ensuring they are supported emotionally and getting them to their therapy appointments.
Marie helps us with all elements in our lives with the children. She manages the challenging mornings, getting the children up, dressed, fed and ready for school. While waiting for the time to go to school, she will practice multiplication tables with them – although maths is not their strong point, we can see the improvement from this regular practice.
As our ten-year-old suffers from dyslexia, Marie volunteers at our local school to support him in class. Due to her attendance, it highlighted to us just how challenging it is for him in class. This enabled us to work with the school to implement technology solutions, including a dedicated iPad, speech to text programs and testing of a ‘C Pen’ that converts text to speech. Her input has resulted in our son having increased confidence in his own abilities, being willing to participate in a greater way and, ultimately, be awarded a Teachers Award for 2019 at the end of the school year!
Our children have many therapy appointments, and without Marie, it would not be possible for them to do all of these much-needed supports. It enables Marie drive a child to one appointment while my husband or myself do another appointment. It is a juggling game, and it is so helpful to have another person to help us to manage.
We have a weekly meeting with Marie to go through her anticipated hours and any special things that will be happening. It also enables us to discuss with Marie any shopping we may need her to do for the family or errands she is able to help us with. This helps us be so much more organised than we could possibly be!
In the afternoons after school, Marie may drive one child to an appointment or sporting activity. She may help them with their homework, or even just DO homework! Without Marie that would not happen! She is able to help us calm the children down if they are dysregulated, help them remember to unpack their school bags, have afternoon tea, and get through showers after their afternoon appointments.
Marie quietly and efficiently helps us with various household tasks like cooking us a meal, setting the table for dinner and ensuring the washing is done and folded. These things really help us with our household.
We believe that Marie deserves to win Care Professional of the Year because she willingly shares her experience and knowledge with our family. She also has a wonderful sense of humour and we find she has become a valued member of our family. Our only sadness is that our year with Marie will finish, but we know we will have a strong connection for life!
Marie has changed our lives for the better in so many ways!
