Getting to Know:  Chaka Boyles

Chaka Boyles was recognized as a recent Employee of the Month. This is what a resident's family member had to say about her, “I wanted to write and tell you all how much I appreciate Chaka and the care she provided my mother. She went to great care to dress her, picking out clothes that matched, combed her hair beautifully, always put make-up on her, and placed pretty beads around her neck. She provided dignity for Mom that had slipped away when Mom began to lose her ability to care for herself. In my mother's last days, Chaka was so caring, so sincere, so loving, that one might have thought it was her own mother that she was caring for. The night after mother died she called to check on her because she didn't yet know that she was gone. That is going above and beyond. She is truly the essence of Saint Simeon's and of the word caregiver. Thank you, Chaka, for being there.”

Chaka is a Certified Nurse Assistant in the Health Care center working the 7 to 3 shift - that means she clocks in at 6:30 am. This time of year it is awfully cold to be commuting to work at that time and there isn't a whole lot of light either. Thank goodness for folks like Chaka.

She describes what she does here as, “I take the best possible care of the residents that I can. I make sure that when they use their call light (by pulling the cord that is always within reach) that it is answered promptly. I make sure that they are well fed and well dressed and anything else they need. I talk to them and laugh with them and I help any way I can when their time with us is coming to an end.”

Chaka came to work here on April 4, 2001. Previously she had worked at Sterling House and at the Veteran's Center in Claremore. She got her CNA training at the Veteran's Center since she lived out that way at the time.

After moving to Tulsa, she happened to see St. Simeon's while she was out driving around. She didn't know what it was then. “I knew it looked like some homes were in here but I didn't realize that they were retirement homes. Later, when I found out that a friend of a friend worked here, I came out and applied for a job.”

Chaka got interested in the medical community early in life. She was born and raised in Claremore and her mom worked at a hospital there. She often visited her and learned her way around. During high school, she had a desk job at the Claremore Indian Hospital. She answered phones and made appointments for the optometrist. Chaka has one brother in Claremore and one sister in Michigan.

She really enjoys what she does now because, “I love taking care of the residents and making sure that all their needs are met. The only thing that I don't like is seeing them go.”

Chaka's home in Tulsa is near Booker T. Washington High School. In fact you can see the new building from her window. She likes to stay in touch with her family and talks regularly on the phone with her mom, sister, and grandmother.

For relaxation, Chaka enjoys watching the show, Charm on television. This series has quite a following but for those of you not familiar with it, it is about three witches trying to kill various warlocks. Chaka also enjoys watching Jerry Springer. So much for the theory that, “you are what you watch” since her two favorite shows are Charm and Jerry Springer and yet she is clearly gentle and loving (not a witch) and also behaves nothing like the guests that appear on Jerry Springer!

Chaka has traveled to Michigan to visit her sister and took the opportunity to cross over into Canada. Even though Canada is a foreign country all she needed to have to visit there was her driver's license. “The scenery was beautiful. Most of all I remember seeing the beautiful river that you had to cross between Canada and the United States.”

Chaka's plans for the future are, “I want to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, make lots of money, have two kids, and do all this by the time I am in my mid 30s.” Sounds like a great plan. All your co-workers, residents and family members here at St. Simeon's hope all of it comes true - you deserve it!