Jacqueline Bonds Quickly With Her Clients
After schedulers at Home Instead® of Philadelphia send Jacqueline Hall to a fill-in assignment, they have come to expect a follow-up call that usually sounds something like this: “When can you send Jacqueline back?” It is obvious that Jacqueline quickly wins over seniors, including first-time clients. Someone offered: “People are just drawn to Jackie.”
So, what is Jacqueline’s secret? The humble CAREGiver of the Month smiles and shrugs. “I don’t know. I try to treat people the way I’d want my family to be treated,” Jacqueline said.
If Jacqueline serves her Home Instead clients as if they were family, it is because she was a family caregiver. “In my early 30s, my sister and I served as family caregivers for my grandmother when she became sick. We took care of her for less than a year. It probably was my first experience in senior care,” Jacqueline said.
“I have a special heart for senior care. It comes naturally. I love what I do. This kind of work comes easy for me. Putting a smile on a client’s face is fulfilling,” said Jacqueline, who joined owner Steve Levin’s award-winning Philadelphia franchise in November 2017.
Steve, General Manager Charlea Lyn Grieco and other Home Instead staff members are happy Jacqueline saw their Home Instead franchise’s advertisement on Facebook nearly five years ago. When Jacqueline joined Home Instead, she brought with her a wealth of senior-care experience.
Jacqueline began her career journey in 2010, when she earned her CNA license. Jacqueline worked for two years in a nursing home. She also has served as a private-duty caregiver and worked for two other agencies before joining Home Instead. Jacqueline said, “I think Home Instead is the best.”
Positives for Home Instead, Jacqueline said, include the fact that the office staff is always looking after its CAREGivers. “The office makes sure we always have a client after we lose one. It is steady employment, which means a lot. The office interactions are good. Someone is always available to answer our questions and discuss our concerns. They make adjustments for us when they are needed,” Jacqueline said.
Every Home Instead client is unique, Jacqueline pointed out, and she embraces the uniqueness of her 95-year-old widowed client, who lives in an assisted-living apartment in a high-rise care community. “She is crystal clear and cares about her appearance. She has an eye for fashion, likes nice clothes and enjoys dressing up. After the evening dinner, she chooses an outfit for the next day – it’s something that is always on her mind. She sometimes asks what I think from among two or three clothing options. She wants to look good, and I can appreciate that,” Jacqueline said.
Jacqueline is one of the four CAREGivers who make up the 24/7 Home Instead team that assists the client, who is a fall risk. “We try to keep the same consistent team because new CAREGivers are stressful, which is not unusual for any client. We want to maintain a consistency of care for her. We CAREGivers trade off dates if one of us has to miss a shift. We work as a team and know each other’s schedules,” Jacqueline said.
“Since she is a fall risk, I make sure she doesn’t walk away from her walker. From that aspect, she’s a bit forgetful about the walker or sometimes just drags it along behind her. She likes outside walks if the weather is good. That’s when we have some great conversations, although she always likes to have me in her presence. She has anxiety, and I try to keep her calm. I have been helping her for a about a month, and she is good to work with. We bonded quickly.”
“Bonded quickly” is the way Home Instead staff members describe Jacqueline’s relationships with her clients. That is one of the reasons she is a CAREGiver of the Month.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (215) 925-4610 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
