 Sue C. - April 2013 CAREGiver of the Month When asked how to best describe Sue C., her friends, colleagues and clients would tell you that she has a sincere and compassionate attitude along with genuine kindness that never tires. All of us at Home Instead Senior Care would like to take the opportunity to recognize and honor Sue for being a true inspiration. We received a call over Easter weekend from a family seeking a solution that would allow their mother - requiring end of life care - to return home from the hospital. Sue just so happened to be directing the Easter play at her church. In the blink of an eye, without a moment of hesitation, Sue personally called everyone involved in the play to reschedule their final rehearsal. This selfless and compassionate act allowed Sue and Home Instead Senior Care to serve as the resource this wonderful family had been searching for. Their mother was able to return to the comfort of her own home surrounded by her loving family on Easter weekend. Sue is an inspiration and we are very proud she is part of the Home Instead Senior Care Family!
  Marcia B. - March 2013 CAREGiver of the Month All of us at Home Instead Senior Care are very proud to announce that Marcia B. is our March CAREGiver of the Month. Marcia came to Home Instead after retiring from a 25 year career with the County Hospital. She spent most of her career as an ECG and Pathology Lab Technician. Marcia has been a Home Instead CAREGiver for the past 4 years. She says the position was a natural fit as a second career. When asked how to best describe Marcia, her colleagues and clients use words such as kind, humble and a team player. Marcia has been working with her current client for 2 years and could not be happier. According to Marcia, one of the best things about being a CAREGiver is that you get so much satisfaction in return. We are honored to congratulate Marcia with this distinguished and very deserving honor.  Julia V. - January 2013 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Julia V. our recipient for January’s CAREGiver of the month award. Our administrative staff finds Julia to be very focused on her caregiving responsibilities - always looking for new ways to help her clients and put their needs first.
Julia was wondering why we were calling her at home on her day off. She was surprised to hear that she was voted CAREGiver of the month and made arrangements for us to meet so she could accept her award. Our Marketing Director, Adam Arias, greeted her with the award ready to take her picture for our website and newsletter. Julia said, “The award is beautiful, I am very happy and thankful. Her last name is often misspelled so her next comment was, “My name is spelled perfect”. Julia is known for taking very good care of her clients and comments, “I like to make the clients life more comfortable and happy!”
As for her personal time, Julia likes to hike. She finished her picture taking with Adam and said she was going to celebrate by going to the gym to swim and relax.
 Kathy Cramsey - 2012 CAREGiver of the Year “How would your life be different if you had not chosen to be a CAREGiver?” Without hesitation Kathy Cramsey responded, “I’ve always been CAREGiving, regardless of my job; it just comes naturally.”
Kathy took care of several family members throughout her married life while raising three children of her own. She moved to Phoenix from New Jersey when her kids were 3 months old, 2 , and fourteen years of age. Helping with the care of neighborhood children so their parents could work, juggling the needs of her family, doing all of this with a sincere smile on her face. Kathy laughed, “My children thought they were so popular in school because we had so many other kids over.” Kathy’s husband was in school and working to support the household. During this time his mother and father’s health rapidly declined and they passed away within six weeks of one another in 1997. Then in 2000 Kathy’s husband became seriously ill and was admitted to the intensive care unit. His condition was so severe that the physician asked Kathy to make a decision to stop life support, assuring her he would not live through the night. But she knew that this wasn’t his time. Kathy stayed the course to provide unconditional care and support to see him through a miraculous recovery. Within six months he made a full recovery and was back to work.
Kathy’s mother’s health began to decline while she was caring for and supporting her husband during his astounding recovery. She passed away from cancer shortly before he fully recovered. Kathy recalls, “The difficult times provided opportunities to bond with my family and offer support which is a part of everyday life.”
A short time later, Kathy found herself making a transition. She was delivering the same compassionate support she had provided her loved ones, the recipients of her generous heart this time around were seniors in the community. Kathy added, “They have so much going on in their lives and see things from a different perspective.”
Kathy has had the pleasure of working with her Home Instead clients on a long term basis. Since April of 2007, Kathy has had a total of three long term clients. She is generous with her time and worked 17 hours a day with her first client. Her second client had dementia and loved to walk. Kathy started taking her and her dog to the park with their leftovers and feeding the ducks. Her client enjoyed it so much that they started buying day old bread and were up to 7 loaves a day! The loss of her two clients when they passed was emotional and heartfelt but does not prevent her from continuing her mission to provide assistance for seniors in need. She cares for her current client 6 days a week. A special bond formed when her client unexpectedly popped her hip out, went in for two surgeries and lost her eyesight within a week of Kathy becoming her CAREGiver. Initially her client lost the first eye and has had multiple surgeries attempting to replace the cornea on the second eye five times. Kathy’s support has been steadfast and true so now she is trusted to be her client’s eyes when needed. Making the change to accommodate a lifestyle without sight has included entertainment with friends. Card games switched to dice games and fun didn’t skip a beat!
When Kathy’s client found out that she had been nominated for CAREGiver of the year, she simply stated, “Kathy seems to be completely unaware of how special she is to the people she’s cared for.”
Kathy Cramsey is a woman who has given of her time, talent and love in the most admirable fashion. During her free time while usually talking or watching television, she knits hats & scarves and gives them to children at the Sunshine Residential Homes. They are kids looking to be reunited with family or placed in foster homes.
We are grateful for all of our CAREGivers and especially honored and humbled to present her with this prestigious nomination of Home Instead Senior Care, Mary Steibel CAREGiver of the year.
 Kathy S. - December 2012 CAREGiver of the Month We are proud to announce that our CAREGiver of the month of December is Kathy S. Kathy has been employed with Home Instead for over 6 years. She is extremely dedicated to her clients and always looking for additional ways to educate herself about caregivinig. Congratulations, Kathy. Stephen P. - November 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Stephen is our November CAREGiver of the month. He has been with Home Instead for over 10 years! He goes above and beyond and is always willing to help out when needed. We are privileged to have such a caring and dedicated CAREGiver at Home Instead. Terri A. - October 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Our CAREGiver of the month is Terri A.
Terri has been with Home Instead for over 9 years! Terri says she loves working with us and that she really enjoys her job.
Congratulations Terri, we are proud to have you as a part of our team! Kathy C. - September 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Kathy C. is our CAREGiver of the month for September. Kathy is very well liked by her client. Her client's daughter has said that she is "an angel on earth" and has improved the quality of life for her mother greatly and that they are so glad to have her.
Congratulations, Kathy! Rohani G. - August 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Our CAREGiver for the month of August is Rohani G. Rohani has been with Home Instead for 1-1/2 years. She has completed all of her training classes, as well as completing the New Alzheimer’s training class. All of her clients love her and say she is always very pleasant. Rohani is always willing to help out, even at the last minute. Congratulations Rohani!! We are so happy to have you on the Home Instead team. Tammy F. - July 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Tammy F. is our CAREGiver of the month for July. Tammy is very devoted to her clients and always goes above and beyond to help them. She is always very professional and is always on time to meet her clients. Tammy has been with Home Instead for just over a year now and we are very glad to have her as part of our team! Harriet P. - June 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Harriet P. is our June CAREGiver of the month. Harriet has been with Home Instead Senior Care for just over a year now and has completed all of her training. Harriet is very patient, soft spoken, kind, and is very passionate about her job. We are very happy to have Harriet as part of our team here at Home Instead Senior Care.
Carmen C. - May 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Carmen C. is our May CAREGiver of the month.
Carmen has just completed the new Home Instead Alzheimer’s Training class and works very well with her Alzheimer’s clients. She is very friendly and has a good sense of humor. Carmen has also just celebrated her 1st Anniversary here with us at Home Instead Senior Care and we are very happy to have her as one of our CAREGivers. Karen W. - April 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Karen W. is our May CAREGiver of the Month. Karen has had some very challenging clients while employed with Home Instead. She is always positive, has a very loving smile, and she truly cares about the welfare of her clients. Karen consistently goes above and beyond. THANK YOU Karen for being a Home Instead CAREGiver and making a difference in the lives of seniors Gail B. - March 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Gail B. our March CAREGiver of the Month. Gail is extremely loyal to her clients. She is highly experienced so this allows her to be there for her clients as their needs progress. Gail stays with clients until the very end even if that means working long hours.
We appreciate how she dedicates herself to them in their greatest time of need.
Thank you Gail for making a difference!
Mary A. - February 2012 CAREGiver of the Month Congratulations to Mary Anderson, our February CAREGiver of the Month!! Mary is extremely caring, very proactive and has a positive outlook on life. She is always willing to go the extra mile without a second thought. 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 Mary! 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! | 