From Caregiver to HR Liaison: A Career Built on Caring
For Candie Brandano, caring for others has never been just a job. It’s something that has always been part of who she is. Since joining ABC Home Healthcare in 2008 as a homemaker, Candie has built a career rooted in compassion, dedication, and a genuine desire to make a difference in people’s lives.
Coming from a family of caregivers, with a mother, aunt, and cousin who were aides and a grandmother who was a nurse, Candie grew up surrounded by people who devoted themselves to helping others. It was a calling she felt drawn to from an early age.
“I’ve always had a passion for helping people,” Candie shares.
That passion became especially clear when she recalled a couple she cared for during her years in the field. What began as providing personal care and companionship to the wife gradually grew into a close working relationship with both her and her husband, as well as the extended family of their children and granddaughter. It’s true that caregivers often become “part of the family.”
When Candie eventually transitioned from the field into the office, she told the couple she would no longer be able to care for them in person but hoped to remain connected through their scheduling and phone calls. Not long afterward, following a vacation, she returned to work to heartbreaking news: the wife had passed away.
“I took that really hard,” Candie recalls. “I still do to this day.”
Her story is a reminder that while caregiving requires skill, professionalism, and compassion, it also asks something deeply human of us. The relationships formed through care cannot simply be switched on and off. With time, trust, and shared moments, clients can become friends, and friends can begin to feel like family. And when we lose someone, we’ve cared for, that connection doesn’t simply disappear.
It’s this understanding that Candie carried with her throughout her career at ABC.
Although she had once considered pursuing nursing, a new opportunity presented itself in 2011 when ABC approached her about becoming a Client Care Coordinator. It was an unexpected turn in her career, but one that allowed her to continue doing what she loved in a different way.
Having worked directly with clients, Candie understands firsthand what makes a successful caregiver-client relationship. She knows that scheduling is about far more than filling an open shift. It’s about finding the right person for each client, considering individual needs, skills, and personalities, and creating a match that gives both the client and the caregiver the best chance to thrive.
“You want to make sure you are giving them the best caregiver you can possibly give them — the perfect match.”
That perspective is one of the many things Candie brings to her role. Her experience in the field has given her an appreciation for both sides of the relationship, helping her approach each match with an understanding that goes beyond a schedule or a list of qualifications. She knows that the right caregiver can make an enormous difference in someone’s day, their comfort, and their ability to remain safely at home.
And while Candie has found a way to continue her passion for caregiving from the office, her role at ABC has grown well beyond coordination.
Over the years, she has become someone colleagues can count on to step in, lend a hand, and take on new challenges. Whether helping navigate the constantly changing protocols during COVID or supporting recruiting and human resources, Candie has consistently shown a willingness to learn and adapt wherever she’s needed.
“I always love learning new things, new technologies, and being able to help out wherever they need me.”
She doesn’t wait for an invitation to help. She sees what needs to be done and jumps in, embracing new responsibilities and finding ways to make things work. That initiative, paired with her firsthand understanding of caregiving, has allowed her to grow into a multifaceted role that continues to evolve.
Today, Candie brings that experience and dedication to her role as HR Liaison. As an important part of ABC’s Human Resources team, she plays a key role in interviewing and screening new caregivers, drawing on her firsthand knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the field. She also serves as a mentor to new staff, helping them get off to a strong start and feel supported in their roles. While her primary focus is now Human Resources, Candie continues to lend her experience and support as a Senior Care Coordinator. Her strong relationships with field staff, nurses, coordinators, and colleagues throughout ABC make her a valued resource across the organization.
Candie’s journey reflects something meaningful about ABC itself: the opportunity to grow, discover new strengths, and build a lasting career.
“I really couldn’t see myself working anywhere else.”
ABC is more than a workplace. It’s a community where people support one another, build relationships, and are encouraged to grow.
“It’s a close-knit community where everybody is willing to help each other.”
At ABC, we are fortunate that the path Candie chose brought her to us and can’t wait to see what she does next as she remains to be a valued part of the ABC family.
