ABC’s Nurse Joy:
More Than a Caregiver
When Joy arrived in the United States from Africa in September 2006, she joined her husband who had come four years earlier to establish a home for their family. Having raised four children and now surrounded by eight grandchildren, Joy is no stranger to hard work or dedication. Her story has been one of quiet strength, boundless compassion, and unwavering purpose.
Within just months of arriving, Joy took her first steps toward caregiving excellence. She completed training with the Red Cross and became a Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide. By December 2006, she had joined ABC Home Healthcare. In 2009, Joy completed her LPN nursing course at Quincy College.
“I was inspired by the other nurses working for ABC. I already had a solid foundation in the science field and wanted to further my education and acquire more skills in the healthcare industry.”
Listening to Joy speak is like basking in a warm ray of sunshine. Her soothing voice, calm demeanor, and soft accent invite conversation and reflection. There’s serenity about her — a peacefulness that instantly puts you at ease.
When she talks about her early days at ABC, she does so with a mixture of humility and humor.
“I had to learn fast,” she recalls. “Every client is different — different needs, families, environments, personalities. I learned how to listen.”
Joy tells us about challenges she has overcome, thanks in large part to the wonderful team of nurses and care coordinators she has worked with at ABC.
“I’m a good listener,” she says with a smile. “Sometimes, you’re the only person they see that day. They just want to talk.”
To Joy, caregiving is not just a job — it’s a calling. She doesn’t simply care for her clients — she treasures them. Her connection goes beyond tasks and routines. She sees the person behind the diagnosis, and her commitment is deeply personal.
Whether that means holding a hand through a difficult moment, attending to a specific need, or simply sitting and listening while someone tells a story they’ve told a hundred times — Joy shows up, every time
“Can I tell you a story?” she asked during our chat, her eyes lighting up, like she was sharing a cherished secret.
She recounted a tale shared by one of her long-time clients — a woman raised in a large, bustling family who was assigned the task of cleaning up before her mother came home. One day, too absorbed in play to do her chores, the young girl bundled all the dirty dishes in a tablecloth and hid them in the dishwasher to make the kitchen look clean.
It didn’t work.
Her mother discovered the pile of broken dishes wrapped in fabric like a buried secret. Joy chuckled as she told how the girl— now an elderly woman, ran away to a friend’s house and stayed there for two days, too scared to face the consequences.
Joy laughed as though she’d lived that story herself. And in a way, she had — because she listens with her whole heart. Her clients are not cases or charts — they are people, memories, lives that she holds with reverence.
“They need to know they’re still worth it,” Joy says simply. “That someone cares.”
“If I’m with a client and they need something, I’m going to help them. I’m not going to walk away or wait for someone else,” she says. It’s clear her responsibility first and foremost is to her clients.
Over the years, Joy’s quiet confidence has grown — shaped by experience and strengthened by mentorship. She credits much of her growth to Clare Pappagallo, RN CCM, her mentor, and to ABC’s supportive care coordinators who offered not only guidance but friendship.
“I watched the way they interacted with clients and families. I paid close attention. I learned so much from them. And they’ve always been there for me when I had questions.”
Joy also emphasizes the vital role that is played between ABC care coordinator, nurses and home care aides.
“It’s so important that we communicate with them and they are always so wonderful, providing support.”
When asked about her nearly two-decade tenure at ABC, Joy’s speaks with affection.
“ABC has always been accommodating,” she says. “They listen. They’re flexible. And they always find a solution when presented with a concern”
Now approaching her 19-year anniversary, Joy has flirted with the idea of retirement — more than once.
“I try to retire,” she jokes. “But I keep coming back.”
She leans back, her smile widening.
