Skylar Elliot
At alto, we believe connection is at the heart of good care.
We sat down with Skylar Elliot, one of the caregivers on alto, to talk about why she loves home care, the unique relationships she’s built with her clients, and her advice for people new to alto.
Skylar Elliot, a third year nursing student and caregiver on alto. Photo by Josh Campillos, alto.
Skylar is a third year nursing student at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and experienced caregiver on alto.
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
This was Skylar’s response when we asked her for a quote she lived by, and we couldn’t summarize her approach any better.
When she first entered nursing school, she was asked why she chose nursing. “I actually didn’t have an answer.”
“I did a long term care placement in my first year and loved it. Then I knew right away that I made the right choice.”
Looking back, the decision to pursue nursing aligned with her experience in other jobs at vet clinics and daycares where she loved being able to work directly with people (& animals) and make a difference.
“It’s just in my nature to give. It’s always been who I am.”
One of the things that drew her to alto and home care in general is the ability to focus more on the individual. She was particularly drawn to co-founder Hadi Taherian’s ideology of moving away from the institutional model of treating people. She still believes long-term care homes serve an important purpose, but a little help at home can go a long way, and she finds it’s much easier to connect with clients one-on-one.
A common comment she hears from her clients who have tried other forms of home care is how stressful it was never knowing which care aide was going to show up. Families would spend so much time training the new care aide, by the time they were done, the shift was over and they never saw them again. It was tiring and stressful for both parties.
One of Skylar’s favourite things about alto is that it allows her to focus on building those meaningful connections and improving her skills.
“With alto, you can sit down one-on-one and talk to your clients and not only get their needs covered, but maybe even go beyond that.”
Skylar is a strong advocate for all of her clients. The first thing she does when meeting a new client is to begin building that relationship.
“I go in there as a friend, ask them about themselves, and then I tell them about me to find shared experiences or interest.” As a result, she’s been able to bond with her clients over everything from living on the farm to a love for dogs. Sometimes she’ll bring them coffee, sometimes they’ll give her muffins - little signs of their mutual appreciation for one another.
Her biggest piece of advice for those new to alto, caregivers or families, is to go into it with a friendly face.
“They’re probably just as nervous as you are. Don’t worry about feeling afraid or nervous because they’re probably feeling the exact same way.”
Once you find that connection, the rest comes naturally.
When we asked her how she manages all of her clients with school, she explained that it was an appreciation for her clients and her work that makes the difference.
“If I didn’t love what I was doing, I wouldn’t keep doing it. People will often ask me ‘How do you make time for yourself?’ but when I’m talking to my clients, it just doesn’t feel like work.”
Skylar has been providing care on alto from the beginning and, like her clients, we feel lucky to have her. It cannot be understated how much we value her feedback, patience, and client advocacy. Thank you, Skylar.
You can view Skylar’s full caregiver profile here, but due to her commitment to her existing clients and busy school schedule, she is currently not taking on any new clients in need of regular care.
