Doris F. - January 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Doris Frazier, our January Caregiver of the Month. Doris is very kind-hearted and has an excellent sense of humor. She has been with her client since 2008. Doris and her client are regular attendees at our continuing education presentations; they both love to stay informed. We appreciate all that she does and are honored to have her as a part of our Home Instead Senior Care team! Thank you for making a difference Doris!   Carol V. - 2011 CAREGiver of the Year “They call me the ‘competent one’”, CAREGiver Carol Vollmar said with a little grin.
The Client CARE Coordinators at Home Instead Senior Care call her phenomenal. Her clients … call her “friend.”
“Carol is the CAREGiver we send to difficult clients—the ones that think they don’t need help”, said 4-year veteran staffer, Ashleigh Lopez. “She makes a great first impression. She is proactive, dependable and is really good with communication.”
Ms. Mary-Pat Smith, daughter of Marianne Gorman, hired Home Instead Senior Care when her 76 year old mother was diagnosed with dementia. She said, “Carol became my go-to person and in every way exceeded my expectations for care to my mother and support to me and my family during this difficult time.”
Carol’s career at Home Instead Senior Care was a “natural thing,” she said. She had a housekeeping business when she first moved to Phoenix. She eventually started caring for her client’s children. When the children got older she looked around for something she would like to do. Caregiving gave her the outlet she needed to care for others. But more than a CAREGiver, she is an ambassador. She tells everyone she meets that Home Instead Senior Care is THE best in the world. She loves working for Home Instead Senior Care. “The staff are there for us 24/7. Even if I have to leave a message, someone calls me back within 15 minutes. I tell everyone we are the best!”
Her profound belief that what she does makes a difference in other’s lives has given Carol the ability to take the most difficult, resistant clients. She has had them tell her to go away, make her sit at another table at a restaurant, or to stay out of sight in another room during her shifts.
“I handle them with kid gloves,” she said. “I tell my client it doesn’t bother me if they don’t want me there. I don’t take it personally, I just tell them I was hired to take care of them and they can’t get rid of me. I am kind to them and tell them that I am going to be here for them and that I will be their friend. I just talk to them and they come around! No one has gotten rid of me yet,” she laughs. “I am still in contact with most of them. They really do become my friends.”
“Mom was not willing to accept her new diagnosis,” Ms. Smith reflected. “She certainly did not want a “CAREGiver” living with her. This made Carol’s job difficult from day one. Her dedication was comforting to me. Mom was never able to express her gratitude, but my family and I were able to see the effects of the consistent loving care provided on a daily basis!”
Carol faced the ultimate test as a CAREGiver this past year. She took on a hospice client at end of life. She admitted she didn’t know how she would handle it. “I had never been with anyone who has died,” she said.
Mrs. Billie Payne, 98 years old, wanted to die at home. So Carol bathed her, changed her, and turned her. “She had to have her two cups of coffee in the morning before we could do anything, even change her. Mrs. Payne told me since she was dying, having her coffee first wasn’t too much to ask.” Carol agreed. One particular morning, Mrs. Payne started reminiscing about her childhood and her marriage; funny stories and poignant ones. She started complaining that her heart hurt and then began talking to her Papa. Carol stayed by her side. “I looked over at her. She had a cute little smile, her eyes were open and I could tell she wasn’t in pain anymore. I knew she had passed. I said a prayer for her.”
Carol paused and said, “I have come full circle.”
Mrs. Payne’s family relied on Carol. “I depended heavily on Carol, and her dedication to caring for my mother gave our family great peace of mind. Carol’s concern and compassion for my mother was exceptional, and I appreciated her efforts to make my mom’s last months as comfortable as possible. Home Instead should be proud to have Carol on staff.”
We are proud; and therefore, we have nominated Carol Vollmar for the 2011 Mary Steibel CAREGiver of the Year because she truly is a phenomenal CAREGiver. Her unique niche with resistant clients has set her apart as a CAREGiver and enhanced our clients’ lives.  Carol B. - December 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Carol Brooks, our December Caregiver of the Month. Carol is very kind-hearted and has excellent communication skills. She keeps us very informed and sends us updates regularly on her clients. She is also great at accepting shifts with short notice which is always an added bonus! We appreciate all that she does and are honored to have her as a part of our Home Instead Senior Care team! Thanks again Carol!!!!! Barbara A. - November 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Barbara A., our November CAREGiver of the Month. Barbara has been with Home Instead for a year and a half and is such a caring and dependable individual. Our clients just love her and she is very devoted to them as well. She is also very prompt and always has her time sheets in on time. Thank you again for all that you do! Fran C. - October 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Fran C., our October CAREGiver of the Month. Fran is one of the most energetic CAREGivers we have on staff. She keeps her clients active both physically and mentally. Fran is a regular at our monthly educational in-services; showing her commitment to improving her knowledge and skill set as a CAREGiver. Thank you Fran! Carol B. - September 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Carol B., our September CAREGiver of the Month. Carol is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. She is very proactive and always sensitive to her client’s needs. Carol’s heart is truly into caregiving and it shows in the quality care she provides for her clients. One of her clients had this to say about her, “She is the best caregiver I have ever had!”. Thank you Carol for making a difference. Jahnna R. - August 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Jahnna R. our August CAREGiver of the Month. Jahnna started with Home Instead Senior Care in May of 2009. What sets Jahnna apart is her attention to detail. She often updates the office staff about her clients through email. Jahnna is extremely passionate about being a CAREGiver and it shows in the compliments we receive from the clients family members she takes care of. Thank you Jahnna for making a difference! Helen S. - July 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Helen S., our July CAREGiver of the Month. Helen is such a hard worker. She doesn’t hesitate to work with 3 different clients in one day. Ready at moment’s notice, Helen is ready to take a last minute shifts for families needing emergency help. Helen works almost every day of the week and has not called out sick in the year and a half she has work for Home Instead. Thank you Helen for making a difference! Doris A. - June 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Doris A., our June CAREGiver of the Month. Doris started working with Home Instead Senior Care in June 2010. Doris has been extremely consistent and her client absolutely adores her. We are lucky to have Doris on our team.
Thank you Doris for making a difference. Dottie C. - May 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Dottie C. our May CAREGiver of the Month. Dottie is an exceptional CAREGiver in many ways. She is always willing to take a last minute shift for a new client coming out of the hospital. She educates herself on senior health issues by reading medical periodicals. Thank you Dottie for making a difference! Sylvia I. - April 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Sylvia is an exceptional CAREGiver. She has put in almost 26,000 hours of service with her clients. Sylvia cares for her clients with both passion and patience. She is a regular at our monthly educational in-services and stays up to date on senior issues. The office is very thankful to have Sylvia on our CAREGiving team. Thank you Sylvia for making a difference! Tiffani A. - March 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Tiffani A.! She is in her 3rd year with Home Instead Senior Care. Caregiving is in Tiffani’s blood, in fact her grandmother was a CAREGiver with Home Instead Senior Care for many years. Tiffani always asks the important questions about how to best care for the clients she serves. Her professionalism and dedication is second to none. Thank you Tiffani for making a difference! Saadia B. - February 2011 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Saadia B. our February CAREGiver of the Month. Saadia is in her 2nd year with Home Instead and is a prime example of an exceptional CAREGiver. She is always ready to work, shows up on time and treats her clients the way they want to be treated. Saadia is also a regular to our monthly educational in-services in the office. Thank you Saadia for making a difference. Carol V. - January 2011 CAREGiver of the Month The word that best describes Carol is, “AMAZING”. She works 24 hour shifts 3-5 days a week. Since 2008, Carol has put in over 4,600 hours of service! Carol has been caring for children and the elderly for many years. Caregiving has truly been Carol’s life long passion and it shows in the care she provides to her clients. Thank you Carol for making a difference  Connie G - 2010 CAREGIVER OF THE YEAR We are honored to announce that Connie G. is our 2010 CAREgiver of the Year.
Connie was chosen because of her on-going compassion, dedication and selflessness to assist others in their pursuit of Aging in Place with dignity and independence. Connie “gets it.” She has been a family caregiver many times and understands the value of granting every senior’s wish – to stay home.
Connie is quiet and unassuming and feels she is privileged to care for others. Actually, we are the privileged to be able to have Connie as a vital member of our CAREGiving team. Initially her personal life and job responsibilities ran parallel as she cared for her own mother, while at the same time caring for a client of Home Instead. Never did Connie complain; rather she always feels fortunate and accepts her caregiving challenges with grace, love and kindheartedness.
Connie is the epitome of the consummate CAREGiver. No task is to difficult to accomplish; whether it be personal care for a gentleman living his last few days or her current client that requires assistance throughout the day with simple activities. Her greatest joys are bringing smiles, peace of mind and trust to those she assists. One of our Staffers loved it when Connie said, “I’m pretty sure I get more joy and benefit from my relationship with Betsy (client) than she does.”
We are proud that Connie is a part of the Home Instead Senior Care team!
 Jeanie - December 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Jeanie is an exceptional CAREGiver. She has put in over 6,000 hours of service in just under 2 years. Jeanie has worked through many tough situations with her clients. Her patience makes her an excellent fit for working with dementia clients. Everyone knows if Jeanie is with her client, then they are being well taken care of. Thank you Jeanie for making a difference. Doris C. - November 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Doris, our November CAREGiver of the Month. She has been with Home Instead Senior Care for over 5 years and has over 7200 hours of service. Doris is excellent at creating order and balance in her clients’ homes. She assists them in any way she can including organizing closets and cooking home cooked meals. Thank you Doris C. for making a difference.
Rosie L. - October 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Rosie is an amazing CAREGiver. She started working with Home Instead Senior Care in 2006. Since then she has put in almost 4,000 hours with the clients she has cared for. She was an art student and is a certified Pharmacy Technician. She worked as a Certified Pharmacy Technician for many years until she decided to try her hand in caregiving. We are so happy she did! Thank you Rosie for making a difference.
Sharon F. - September 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Sharon truly has a heart of gold. She currently works with many of our veterans in the Veterans Hospital. Sharon has been caring for clients with Home Instead Senior Care since 2006 and has over 17 years of experience as a caregiver. Treating her clients with dignity and respect is always in the forefront of her mind. In fact, she recently mentioned to our Quality Assurance Coordinator that ‘she always puts herself in her client’s shoes’. Thank you, Sharon. Donna - August 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Donna has been a CAREGiver with Home Instead Senior Car for over two years. Before working with Home Instead, Donna worked for the State of Indiana and a large corporation. She is a busy woman between volunteering for her church, helping to feed the homeless and her many hobbies, which include traveling around the world. Donna is an extremely professional and proactive CAREGiver and we are very thankful to have her as part of our team.  Pat G. - July 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Pat has been with Home Instead for over a year. She started with us without having any previous experience as a caregiver. Her first client needed 24x7 care with awake at nights. Pat took this on and worked with this client for over 1,800 hours without ever calling out sick. Pat is a great communicator and on a weekly basis emailed the staffing department about any changes in her client’s condition.
Pat is great example of an amazing caregiver. She has truly earned the right to be July’s Caregiver of the Month. Kerry W. our June CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Kerry W. our June CG of the Month. Kerry originally worked with Home Instead from 2001-2004. She came back to us in 2009 and we are so happy she did! Her patient and calm demeanor works with any client she cares for. Kerry also recently finished the Alzheimer’s Training Program available in the office. Thank you Kerry for making a difference. Elise M May 2010 CAREGiver of the Month The administrative staff is very thankful to have a CAREGiver like Elise M. as a member of the CAREGiving team. Her name is Elise but she prefers to be called Foy. Foy came to us a year ago and has since proven herself to be one of our very best. Her client has many challenges and yet the two manage to have some fun together. Foy had this to say about the fun they have with each other, ”sometimes I call her ‘madam’ and then she smiles a smile that warms my heart”. Thank you, Foy, for making a difference. Demetta April 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Demetta, our April CAREGiver of the month. Demetta was a school teacher for 32 years in New York. She has been working with Home Instead since 2006. In that time she has provided exceptional care and given her clients both dignity and respect. Gail Z - March 2010 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Gail Z. our March CAREGiver of the Month. This last year our Quality Assurance Coordinators have noticed that numerous times Gail provided exceptional care for her clients. Whether it is spending hours cleaning or making her client a nutritious home cooked meal, Gail does it all. Her positive attitude and infectious smile provide her clients with comfort on a daily basis. | 