Daniel’s ‘Mum’ Modeled Compassion, Care
Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Daniel lightheartedly used his acquired Scottish accent when he described the beginning of his interest in senior care: “Me mum was a brilliant family caregiver,” Daniel said. Both of his parents grew up in Scotland, so using “mum” comes naturally.
“I called her ‘Mum’ my whole life. ‘My mum’ sounds just plain wrong,” Daniel said with his endearing chuckle. “My father never became a U.S. citizen and never lost his thick Glaswegian brogue,” said Daniel, referring to a dialect common to Glasgow, Scotland. “While my dad had a thick brogue, I do not. I was born in Detroit, at Harper Hospital. But I can channel my inner brogue. I have dual citizenship, and my heritage is something I treasure.”
Explaining his mother’s family caregiving situation, Daniel said: “My father was ill for the last few years of his life, and Mum was his primary caregiver. She was brilliant, worked so hard and never complained. She would never say she worked hard, but she did. With all of my clients, I hope to exude the same qualities she modeled so beautifully.”
Following his mother’s compassionate nature, it’s not surprising that Daniel’s work history has always involved helping someone else. “Though I have little medical training, I have more than 30 years of caregiving experience in various elementary school settings. I also worked in a nursing home,” he added. In addition, Daniel has worked with children and adults with developmental disabilities, including two summers in a camp in Malibu, California. “I miss it every winter,” he joked.
In the summer of 2019, Daniel was looking for employment to supplement his pension after 30 years of teaching in the Pontiac School District. “I saw an online ad for caregiving through Home Instead. I had enjoyed working with elderly residents at the nursing home before I began my teaching career. I thought I would still enjoy that line of work as a Home Instead Care Pro. I was right, I love it!” said Daniel, whose lighthearted ways are a hit with clients.
To serve his Home Instead clients, Daniel provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. He offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By doing so, Daniel not only assists his clients but helps his families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
To spotlight his excellence, the Home Instead franchise honored Daniel as one of its Care Pros of the Month. Home Instead General Manager Gail M. Wilk said: “Daniel is one of four Care Pros who we honored recently. All of them are so dependable and always willing to help us in a pinch. These Care Pros are loved by their clients, and I have never heard anyone say anything negative about them or the standard of work they provide. We are so pleased to have Daniel on our team.”
Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty, Gail pointed out. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Daniel embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” Finally, focusing on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving helped Daniel achieve his Care Pro award.
Daniel said: “I love getting to know people with the vast amount of interesting and diverse experiences our clients have. I love listening to their life stories and their views on events that happened before I was born, though that doesn’t happen as often as it used to! I love that I love my job, and I love that my work is meaningful and rewarding.”
He added: “There’s a gentleman with whom I’ve worked who used to kayak competitively. He’s in his 90s now. When he retired from kayaking, he sawed his favorite wooden kayak in half and turned each half into a bookcase. He refinished that wooden kayak, and each half is amazingly beautiful. As I got to know him I discovered we have so much in common. He’s a kindred spirit, and I felt as if I should be paying to hear his stories instead of getting paid to spend time with him. He is such an amazing guy! “
Daniel serves his unique client and others on behalf of owner Glenna Yaroch’s award-winning Home Instead franchise that assists seniors in North Oakland County, including Waterford, Clarkston, West Bloomfield and 15 other communities. The franchise is a member of a highly successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska. The network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide care throughout the United States and 13 other countries.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (248) 886-7300 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
