The Devoted Home Health Aide
Halimatou Kanteh interviews her mother, Ndey Demba, a home health aide in New York City. After the pandemic, Demba found purpose in caregiving while balancing long hours and family life. Photo by Halimatou Kanteh
“The patients, you attach to them as a family. You look at them like, uh, your parents. That makes you like, you know what, the following day, like, oh, let me go, in the next week. Let me go.”
By Halimatou Kanteh
When you think of who keeps New York City moving, you might picture the MTA, sanitation workers or social services, but what about the caregivers? In this episode, Halimatou Kanteh interviews her mother, Ndey Demba, a home health aide in New York City. In her role, she helps people — often seniors or those who are sick or disabled — with basic daily tasks at home.
Ndey Demba shares the realities of caregiving, from long hours to emotional stress, and what it takes to do one of the city’s most essential yet often overlooked jobs. Still, she shows up day after day, guided by care for her patients and a deep sense of purpose that keeps her going even when the work gets hard.
Halimatou Kanteh is a sophomore at Vertex Partnership Academies. She is passionate about art, her business, science, and becoming a pediatrician. She enjoys debate, watching shows that center around her culture, and swimming.
The Summer Youth Podcast Academy is The Bell’s immersive beginner podcasting workshop for New York City public school students. This year’s academy was made possible by support from the Spotify Studios Union.
