Working as a caretaker can have its special moments, but also intense ones too. When Mary Cobbs, a Maywood resident and home health aide, looks to recharge, her form of escape might be something as simple as window shopping or grabbing a bite to eat.
The Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, where she was taking a break on Feb. 28, offered plenty of opportunities in those areas.
“Yes, I have a lot of choices,” Cobbs pleasantly agreed, sitting on a bench in the atrium area outside the Carson Pirie Scott store.
Q. Tell us about your line of work?
A. I take care of the elderly. (Her e-mail is marycobbs12@gmail.com). I’ve been doing that over 30 years.
Q. I know caretakers can form strong bonds with the people they’re with.
A. They depend on you, that’s what I love, like the grandma I never had.
Q. What are some of the keys of the work?
A. First of all, developing a good relationship with a client. They end up trusting you. I think that’s the most important thing — to develop a good relationship with the client. I feel if you have a good relationship with a client, they can depend on you, confide in you. A lot of time they need company more than anything.
Q. Aren’t there cases where a client is closer with their caretaker than own family?
A. You’re one on one. You’re their eyes, ears, everything.
Q. How about your interests away from work?
A. I enjoy my family.
Q. Are they in the area?
A. They’re all over — Maywood, the South Side of Chicago, the West Side, they’re all over.
Q. How do you wind down?
A. We like to come out to shop. Sometimes, we just do window shopping. We go out to eat sometimes, and in summer we like to go to a lodge.
