LEWISBURG, Ky. (WTVF) — Like thousands of Americans, a Kentucky woman made a career change during the coronavirus pandemic that she wished she made years earlier.
Angela Warren worked as a certified nurse's assistant for years — a profession she loved. But an emergency heart condition quickly changed how much heavy-lifting she could do on the job.
"I had an aneurysm and I had a leaking valve that was unexpected. After I get that repaired and get it fixed, stayed off of work maybe four or five months, went back into the same work as I was doing previous," Warren explained.
Years later at the start of 2020, she went back to her doctor and realized her heart valve had opened back up and she needed surgery again.
After the surgery, Warren recounted, "My doctor told me that he recommended me not to go to a facility especially during the times that we was having where there was in this pandemic... I just got on my knees and just pray and just ask God, 'OK, what is the next step? What do I need to do?'"
Heeding her doctor's advice in an effort to keep her heart healthy, Warren drew upon prior work experience with home health agencies and started dreaming of opening her own business.
"From my experience working with those other agencies, I realized that, in my opinion, that their management department was just trying to find that employee just to go in to support a client or a family member, you know, to help with that," explained Warren. "But they really didn't really, I feel in my opinion, didn't really care really mainly about the needs for that family. So that's what gave me the drive to start my own home health care agency."
She started her agency in 2021, Family Home Health Care Agency LLC., and serves clients in both Kentucky and Tennessee.
"We are an agency that we serve people who needs service, regardless of — there's no potential client that cannot afford us," explained Warren.
She and her caregivers offer cleaning, transportation, therapy assistance and companionship — a job she said is rewarding.
"I wish this had came to me, you know, four or five years ago," said Warren, "I feel overjoyed that I am who I am today."
To others who are considering making a career shift, Warren said to "believe in your dreams...stay positive. And just be blessing and go forward. Step out on faith."
