“I bring in $16 per hour as a senior companion”
“I retired when I was 66. About a year later, I met a gentleman who was
really having a rough time of it. He was declining and needed some help, especially with driving, shopping and paying bills. At the time, I was volunteering at a cultural center, but I still had lots of time where I didn’t feel like I was productive—and I definitely could use a little extra cash! I told him I could help him out and I ended up taking care of him for two years.
“I really enjoyed the experience and decided I wanted to keep doing this work, so I signed up at Care.com, offering my services as an elder companion. Soon after, my current employer, the Granny Nanny, reached out and hired me. Now I work for her part-time, earning $16 an hour.
“My work with seniors means I go to museums, movies and restaurants for a living! The people I work with are wonderful and I’ve developed nice relationships with them. I know they look forward to our time together as much as I do.
“In addition to my hourly fee, I get paid for mileage. Plus, the clients pay for anything we do and they pay for my meals when we go out to eat. Right now I work 15 hours a week.
“I feel like my work is important because so often seniors don’t get out much. Working with me, they have something to look forward to.
“I have developed an attachment to the people I work with. We like each other. It makes me feel good that they are feeling good.”