My husband responded to our CAREGiver quickly. He even asked if he was going to come tomorrow (that was on a Sunday which would have been Monday, but I told him the CAREGiver was not due to come till Wednesday). He and my husband would talk about the Air Force (which both were retired from after 30 years). He enjoyed their walks and our CAREGiver was instrumental in suggesting several things to help my husband progress. We really miss him. He made sure his sugar level was taken and reported anything abnormal and made sure he took his medicine. If he ever became available for Home Instead again, I hope my husband is his first client.
- Joyce, client
Our CAREGiver is a compassionate and caring person who gives my wife loving care. I have no qualms about leaving my wife in her care. I am confident she will provide all the care necessary for my wife's comfort and safety. She is a delight to be around and cares for my wife better than I am able to. She is an employee you should treasure.
- Francis, client
Our CAREGiver is a kind and gentle person who wants to do her work well. I have many health care needs that she helps me with. She watches as I take my medications to make sure I take them correctly. I use prescription eye drops and a specialized contact lens. She watches to make sure I take the correct drops and that I don't lose the contacts when trying to insert it. I am also on an insulin pump which I must program with correct information. She checks to make sure I put the numbers in without error. All of this is very important to me. She is very diligent in helping me. She also takes me to the doctor's appointments, to run errands, and to church on Sundays. She is always ready to answer questions, help with food preparation, and helps in my personal needs, and with housekeeping. In doing all this she is always trustworthy, pleasant, smiling and caring. I always feel safe and secure when she is with me.
- Martha, client
Besides her personal touch, our CAREGiver is very conscious, compassionate and patient. My mom has several medical conditions from a stroke that left her speech impaired along with several other health issues. When she was hospitalized, our CAREGiver sent cards, called or made a visit. Now that's an exceptional. Besides taking excellent care of mom, she has also gotten to know our family. We all think of her as an additional family member. As for me, it's a comfort to know that mom's receiving excellent care with a lady we like and that I trust.
- Irene & Judy, clients
From the moment she presented herself at our door, I knew she was the one. You see, we tried several CAREGivers, all well qualified, but they did not have a personality to match my mother until Jane hit the doorbell. She listened patiently to my care requests but she finished the conversation saying "Yes sir, but my job is to take care of your wife." She does a great job of watching and learning my wife's changing needs and keeping me on notice of any issues through our several phone calls daily, giving me a play by play of her activity and moods. Alzheimer's is a tricky disease, but she keeps me educated, gives me suggestions on where she sees any gaps in my knowledge, and passes on that knowledge of CAREGiving to me. She and my wife have a good bond and she looks forward to Jane coming each day. CAREGiver skills all should include four attributes: integrity, knowledge, patience, and personality. None weighed above the other and Jane possesses all four. All of her efforts are appreciated. She has given me peace of mind and somewhat leveled a confusing world for my wife. Thank you.
- Curt, client
I would like to tell you how much I appreciate the professional manner in which your staff assisted us during the last several months of illness and death of my wife. I especially appreciate the special care of our CAREGiver. She is well educated, very caring, kind, understanding, and dependable. Almost every day, she arrived 20 minutes before her scheduled time and stayed until the agreed time of departure. She always did everything in accordance with our agreement and would frequently perform other needed tasks, such as preparing an extra meal and non-required house cleaning. Unfortunately, my wife passed away in February. While she was in the hospital, our CAREGiver came by the hospital or called frequently to check on her. Since my wife's death, our CAREGIVER and I have kept in touch. She is a very special person and was a one-of-a-kind CAREGiver for us.
- C.R., client
During the months that our CAREGiver has been caring for my mother, she has become a part of our family. From the very beginning, she's has exhibited a competence and compassion for her duties that have far exceeded my hopes and expectations. She arrives well before her work shift, and if I and my mother are having a difficult morning, she jumps right in with a smile and a helping hand that allows me to finish my morning chores and leave the house for work with peace in my heart and the knowledge that my mother is being well cared for. She's has taken a very proactive role in my mother's rehabilitation. All of the nurses and therapists who have been in my home for mom have been extremely impressed with her. She takes their recommendations and practices with my mother. I know my mom's improvement has been a direct result of her care. When I come home each evening, mom is peaceful and has had a good day with our CAREGiver. Mom gives her a hug goodbye and tells her she loves her. She keeps daily records and always lets me know everything that has happened each day. Our CAREGiver is a professional but also gives a personal touch that makes our experience special. Thank you so much for placing her in my home!
- Cindy., client
My CAREGiver is such a blessing to have. I only have her one day and I just count the days until it is time for her to come back. She tells me that she loves me before she leaves every visit. I don't have any kids and she is what I would want in a daughter. I forget a lot and have to ask her to remind me and she always says "Mrs. Jewel, it doesn't matter how many times you have to ask, I am here for you." She goes beyond being a CAREGiver – she cares how I really feel and she listens and talks. She makes sure before she leaves that everything is the way it should be. She does whatever I ask, no questions, and if she doesn't care I can't tell because she always has a smile on her face. I don't know what everyone thinks, but she is God's gift to me.
- Jewel, client
We are writing in support of our CAREGiver's service to us and Home Instead. She represents the fine qualities and behaviors of a desirable CAREGiver in the following ways:
- Her manner and attitude are warm and understanding. She recognizes the needs and expectations of her patients and their family members of all ages.
- She is well informed about the expectations of a CAREGiver and practices in a knowledgeable way.
- She is always well groomed and well dressed in a professional way.
- She has a good appreciation of health care, including hand washing, mouth care, and general good hygiene, and incorporates this in care of her patient.
- She is a good driver and assistant when keeping appointments with doctors and dentists.
- Her knowledge of her patient's memory problems and how to encourage him, and the family, are excellent.
- Richard & Cornelia, clients
Two days before my father's death, when we transferred him from home hospice care to the hospital, we called Home Instead for help. We needed immediate, full-time care for my mother, then already in the throes of dementia. I stood at my mother's door and watched a beat up white pick-up truck pull into the driveway. A young woman in a ponytail and blue jeans got out and walked my way. As I wondered how I could leave my mother with this complete stranger, our CAREGiver came in, hugged my mom, and began to care for her just as she had her own mother: with respect, with skill, with humor and with patience. 24 hours a day. It was her second day on the job with Home Instead and it has now been 2 years since. She stepped into a role that our family was no longer able to fill.
Our CAREGiver has provided my mother with comfort, support, companionship, and, most importantly, the opportunity to remain in the home where she has known love and security for over 50 years. Home is the place where she feels safe and comfortable.
I believe that for our CAREGiver, caring for my mom is more than her job; it is her calling and her commitment. She has been totally dependable, invariably patient and cheerful, and, for our family, a lifesaver. She would be embarrassed to know we refer to her as "Saint" behind her back, but she has earned the name.
- Marcia, client
