Longtime Gloucester resident Pamela Shafer has been nominated for National Caregiver of the Year at Visiting Angels. With 568 locations across the United States, there are well over 20,000 Visiting Angels caregivers. Shafer is in the top 1 percent of them as a nominee.
Shafer became a caregiver by accident. She literally hit the “apply” button by mistake with her thumb, according to a release from Visiting Angels. Upon being called for an interview, she decided to go. Her background in customer service and her experience caring for her own senior relatives made her a natural fit.
She enrolled in the free training to become a Personal Care Aide. Upon completion, she was hired. She loved the job, bringing cheer to elder Gloucester area residents who needed a little help. Multiple clients have noticed her joy and requested her return.
Her most memorable case is what got her noticed for the nomination process: Shafer was caring for a woman who had lost her longtime husband. The client was ...