Anson Chen

At alto, we believe connection is at the heart of good care.

We sat down with Anson Chen, one of the caregivers on alto, to talk about how he connects with his clients, what motivates him, and how alto supports his goals.

Anson Chen, a third year nursing student and caregiver on alto. Photo by Josh Campillos, alto.

Anson is a 3rd year nursing student in the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor’s of Science (SCBScN) program with the University of Regina and Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He loves talking to his clients, learning from them, and bonding over sports whenever given the opportunity.

Anson entered nursing to follow his passion for connecting with and making a difference for others. One of the signs of this was his experience in prior jobs where he found himself staying for longer periods because of his connection to those he worked with.

I went into nursing because I like caring for people and I like getting to know people.

Anson has experience with people of all ages, from leading young children at summer camps, to working in group homes for teens, and providing home care for seniors. One of the skills that’s helped him in every situation is his ability to “match anyone’s energy level.”

A good example of this comes from his time leading children’s summer camps, where Anson noticed some kids were shy and having a hard time getting involved. As a self-identified introvert, Anson immediately dedicated himself to making them feel better. He started “Dancing with Anson”, where he would play Just Dance with the kids, making a special effort to get each of them involved. It quickly became a permanent part of the camp.

On the other end of the spectrum is his patience with clients. “I like getting to know clients in their homes, taking care of them, and forming those connections where you’re learning from someone else and making their life that much better.

I know a lot of them have a lot to say, I know some of them don’t get to see family members very much or get to go out very much, so it’s nice to just talk to them and get to know their story.”

For Anson, caregiving is mutually beneficial. The nature of home care means every client is unique - there is no “one size fits all” care. As a result, Anson sees each visit as not only an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, but an opportunity to grow and learn, professionally and personally.

When asked for a motto that he lives by, he replied: “Treat others how you want to be treated.”

When i’m old and gray and don’t have the ability to live by myself anymore, I don’t want somebody who’s going to come in and just do their job and head out, I want someone who’s actually going to take care of me and get to know me, and really tailor their care that way so I can live a good life and they can learn something too.

Caring comes naturally to Anson. As we learned throughout our interview, Anson’s caring nature is rooted in a place of genuine curiosity and appreciation for others. While he makes it seem effortless, we learned of the work he puts in to constantly better himself and provide the best care he can, whatever that may look like for each of his clients.

Providing home care on alto helps him just do that.

“I learn best when I’m actually doing stuff, and there’s no better place [to do that].”

“I want to become more of a well rounded nursing student…This gives me that opportunity so that I have more time to choose clients that fit my needs that I think I could do well with, and then I can progress in my career and my life through that.

“It’s been great, it’s been so easy. The system has been so much easier to use [than working for another home care company], just as a student it makes life so much easier. I really like that it’s a lot more independent.”

While caring comes naturally to Anson, he never wants to stop learning and improving. Providing home care on alto allows him to help others and gain experience while still allowing him to prioritize school.

View Anson’s full caregiver profile here. He’s looking for more work with seniors or adults, different types of abilities or disabilities, different needs and standards of care, including feeding, additional hygienic care, and personal care.