2 minute read
Maria Alcantara
Maria Alcantara hasn’t let COVID-19 stop her from keeping herself or her clients safe.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, Maria Alcantara, a Home Attendant for CABS Homecare in Brooklyn for the last 20 years, suddenly found she had more to be concerned with than usual when helping her clients. To keep herself and others safe, she made sure to always wear a mask—sometimes two—washed her hands frequently and even kept a pair of slippers in her pocket to change into before entering clients’ homes. And she was determined that her clients wouldn’t be alone, walking up to an hour to see them when transportation became unreliable. “Yes, I was scared,” she recalled, “but we needed to deal with it.”
Now, happy that she’s been vaccinated against the virus, Marie thinks everyone should be: “Especially people like me in home care,” she explained. “Hopefully, when people see I did it, that will encourage them to do it, too. It’s really positive for the community.”
Protecting herself against COVID-19 isn’t the only health issue Maria has had to manage. Seeing her grandfather lose his leg to diabetes was a warning for her. “When I saw the dangers up close, I got scared,” she recalled. “That motivated me to take care of myself.” She now does everything she can to make sure she and her three children keep their blood sugar levels under control. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Maria was used to eating foods rich in carbohydrates and sugars, but she is working to change her diet. “It’s not easy,” she said, “but if I want to stay healthy, I need to cut down on sugar – even in my coffee – and eat less bread and rice, and more fruits and vegetables.”
Thanks to her 1199SEIU health benefits, and the information she gets from her Benefit Fund, Maria stays up to date on other ways to stay healthy. Throughout the pandemic, she was especially grateful that her benefits allowed for virtual visits with her own doctor or the telehealth service, Teladoc. “Paying nothing at all, that’s a really great benefit,” Maria said.
Maria is also thankful for her training benefits, which helped her take online courses to prepare for her GED. While she hopes to pursue her dream of someday working in a nursing home, Maria is happy right where she is for now. “I just love having a job where I can help people,” she said, “and I’m happy my benefits have allowed me be able to do that.”
What Do Your Benefits Mean to You?
You count on your health benefits to support you in your efforts to stay healthy, whether it’s by getting regular checkups, keeping a chronic condition under control or just improving your lifestyle in general. But has there ever been a time when your health coverage literally saved your life or the life of a loved one? If so, we’d like to hear from you. To share your story with your fellow members in an upcoming issue of For Your Benefit, please contact the Funds at Communications@1199Funds.org.
