MACON, Ga. — For Stephanie Henson, owning a caregiving center is more than just a job that pays the bills.
"It's very personal to me, because my parents needed this kind of care," Henson said.
Her dad and mom had Alzheimer's and Parkinson's at the same time, and she had to rely on her business, Angels at Home, to look after her parents.
"I could not be here taking care of them and also taking care of my kids if I hadn't had help taking care of my parents," she said.
She's seen both sides of the caregiving industry and knows how underappreciated it can be.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 85% of caregivers experienced at least one symptom of poor mental health, while 50% reported serious suicidal ideation.
In Georgia, it's still hard for caregivers after the pandemic.
A new Seniorly study shows family caregivers in Georgia rank as the fourth-most burned out in the nation.
That's why Henson decided to raise her caregivers' wages by about 20-25% over a year ago.
She also knows the little things can make a big difference in the mental health of her employees.
That's why her office celebrates work anniversaries for each employee, gifts caregivers who go above and beyond and recognizes outstanding employees of the month.
She also credits complimenting her employees and checking in on them to make sure everybody is doing alright.
"I always tell them, look — the work that you're doing is changing the world for the better," Henson said.
One of her employees, Barbara Barrett, started as a caregiver and now also works in a leadership role at the facility.
Barrett helps run a mentor program for new employees to make sure their caregivers are also taken care of.
"A lot of them don't have nobody to listen to them," Barrett said. "They just get up and they go to work and they dealing with their children. And some of them need that — they need to vent. So they need somebody that's just gonna be a sounding board."
Her team also tries to pair caregivers with people who are a good match for their skill sets. This helps them not overwhelm their caregivers.
Barrett loves her job. While she said it can be difficult and stressful, it's always worth it to her in the end.
"Just taking care of people, that's my passion. Just taking care of people," Barrett said.