Ten Caregivers of Seniors Earn "Caring Champion" Awards

SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Selena Brown's senior care journey began caring for her grandmother at the young age of 14 and lasted through her high school years. Later, she served in the United States Army, learning more about loyalty, commitment and dedication -- traits that shine through in her current work as a professional caregiver of seniors.

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"Being a caregiver is truly in her blood and is what she was meant to do in life," said Chelsea Smith, business manager at Rest Assured Nursing, Inc., an in-home care agency and Selena's employer, which nominated her for Caring.com's "Caring Champion" award. "Selena is the definition of a true veteran and humanitarian for our country as a whole, but most importantly for our senior community."  

Selena is one of more than 80 professional caregivers nominated this summer as "Caring Champions." Caring.com -- the leading senior care website for family caregivers and the Web's #1 source of senior care reviews -- launched this unique program in June to honor and reward professional caregivers of seniors at home care agencies and senior living communities in the United States. When the caregivers' extraordinary senior care stories were published in July, Caring.com's online community of nearly two million monthly visitors cast votes for their favorites -- using social media buttons on each caregiver's story page and article comment feature. Caring.com's judging committee used this feedback and other subjective criteria to choose the following top-ten caregivers to receive cash bonuses:

• Selena Brown of Rest Assured Nursing, Inc. in Marina Del Rey, California
• Charity Ntim of Homewatch CareGivers in Northbrook, Illinois
• Cathy Miller of Emeritus Senior Living in Woodstock, Georgia
• Maria Steider of Aspen House in Loveland, Colorado
• Joseph O'Kelley II of Home Instead Senior Care in Huntsville, Alabama
• Eve Barnett of Seniority Lifecare at Home in Sonora, California
• Abby Schroeder of Boardman Lake Glens in Traverse City, Michigan
• Bunny Curry of Azura Memory Care in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
• Dawn Lamb of Roland Park Place in Baltimore, Maryland
• Dorothy Boozer of Autumn Cove Retirement Community in Anniston, Alabama

Selena earned the grand prize of $500, and the nine runners-up each get a bonus check of $100. In addition to counting the social votes, Caring.com also considered the compelling attributes of each senior care story, the volume and sentiment of reader comments, expert recommendations for hiring an in-home caregiver or becoming a professional caregiver, and more. 

"I looked for high praise from the families they serve, the caregiver's tenure, and most important, how much they were positively influencing not only the senior and senior's loved ones, but also their peers and others as a valuable, helpful resource who was deserving of this special recognition," said Caring Champion judge Caitlin Morgan, a family advisor and expert at Caring.com and geriatric consultant specializing in dementia care. "As someone who's worked in senior care for 28 years, I understand many of the challenges -- and rewards -- that come with being a professional caregiver, and I really appreciated reading each and every one of these senior care stories."

Families trust professional caregivers to provide high-quality, compassionate care for their senior loved ones -- often during a time of debilitating illness or difficult transitions and aging challenges. With so many professional caregivers nominated as Caring Champions in 2013 and more than 5000 social media votes cast in praise for their work, this program demonstrated how well the senior care industry is delivering on its mission.

"While we host tens of thousands of positive consumer reviews about professional senior care providers, we launched Caring Champions to do something extra to recognize those who choose senior care as their profession or life's work," said Caring.com CEO and co-founder Andy Cohen. "We were so pleased with the amount of participation in the program, and truly touched by the individual stories showcased -- some tearjerkers, some humorous, all worthy of being shared and celebrated."

More information about the Caring Champions program is available on Caring.com here: http://www.caring.com/championcaregivers

About Caring.com
Caring.com is the leading website for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. Caring.com provides helpful caregiving content, online support groups, and the most comprehensive Senior Care Directory in the United States, with 35,000 consumer ratings and reviews and a toll-free senior living referral line (1-866-824-8174). Based in San Mateo, California, Caring.com is a private company funded by DCM, Intel Capital, Shasta Ventures, and Split Rock Partners. Connect with Caring.com on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and/or YouTube.

SOURCE Caring.com