Before Deb Palmer joined the award-winning Home Instead® franchise in Louisville, Colorado, she had owned a successful house-cleaning business for 20 years. There were several reasons that influenced Deb to change jobs and find a fulfilling path that led to her Professional of the Month honor at Home Instead six months later.
“What made me consider my retirement from my self-employed status and my move to Home Instead was that my clientele’s need had gone from cleaning for random folks to serving aging seniors. For 15 years, I served seniors who wanted a clean house but couldn’t do it themselves. It was more than a cleaning service, it was a ministry for me. I prayed with them, brought them homemade soup and meals, and helped them outside the scope of cleaning when they needed it,” Deb explained.
During her cleaning business, Deb had one client for 20 years and served the rest of her clients for at least 10 to 15 years. One client, Thelma, was 84 when Deb started cleaning for her. Thelma had suffered a broken collarbone while playing tennis, and she needed help around the house. Deb said: “That’s when I came into Thelma’s life. I went from housekeeper to caregiver when she was 95. I had earned her trust. Then, when she fell and broke her femur bone, she needed someone to be with her more.”
Deb added: “Thelma asked me to help more, and I jumped into the role. I didn’t really know what that role was, but we figured it out together. I continued with my cleaning business and served Thelma with caregiving. In the end, I discovered that even though I valued the friendships from my cleaning clientele, my heart was in caregiving. Caregiving is not easy work, but it fills my soul. Before Thelma left to be with the Lord, she told me I was a good caregiver and that I should work for Home Instead because she had a Care Pro for some of the time when I was not with her. By that time, our relationship had grown to the point that she was like a mom to me.”
A few weeks after Thelma had passed away, another housekeeping client, whom Deb had known for at least 10 years, Jenny, was losing her battle with cancer. Deb said: “I served her through this long battle. She knew about my caregiving for Thelma, so she asked me to walk her through her journey with hospice till her end. I watched her take her last breath. Ironically, Home Instead Care Pros were hired for the evenings to watch over her for a few days near her end of life.”
Deb recalled: “After I took time to grieve the loss of those two special women in my life, I felt as if I needed a change. I had remembered Thelma’s words, and so I went online and researched caregiving companies. I went to the Home Instead website and applied online. I interviewed Nov. 11, 2024, and was hired on the spot. Brenda Munro, our Home Instead recruitment and engagement coordinator, remembered Thelma and Jenny as their Home Instead clients, so I guess they were my referrals for the job. I had to smile at that thought.”
After joining Home Instead, Deb tried to manage part time with her cleaning business, but it was too much to balance both jobs. She decided to tell her longtime house-cleaning clients that she would retire Dec. 31, 2024, and would become a Home Instead Care Pro full time. Deb explained: “In the end, as hard as the decision was to make, it was the right choice.”
Fast-forward to May 2025, when Deb was honored as her Home Instead franchise’s Care Pro of the Month. Brenda said: “Deb has worked for us only since November 2024, but she is an amazing Care Pro, a standout in my eyes. Our office staff members noted that Deb has not only picked up last-minute shifts but has been willing to come in for training to expand her skill set so she is a more versatile Care Pro. She now works with some advanced care clients. Deb has a quiet confidence, is very capable and people seem to love her, especially her clients.”
Deb said her most enjoyable Care Pro moments occur when she starts a shift, and her client is happy to see her. “When I can put a smile on their face and make them laugh, that is meaningful. It’s all about building relationships by getting to know each of them, listening to their stories, sharing camaraderie, giving my client a piece of my heart even if I’m there just once or twice. I let them know they are seen, heard, matter, cared about and loved. I feel very blessed to be part of their lives in such a giving way. To me, being a Care Pro is a calling, not a job.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (720) 890-0184 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
