It was an emotional day when a hanky or Kleenex box might have come in handy for Pam Duncan. During a poignant moment for the Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month, her client unexpectedly dropped in four memorable words during their conversation. Pam recalled: “My client asked how we should view our relationship, and I responded by saying: ‘friends.’ She responded: ‘No, more like sisters.’ That really warmed my heart.”
Pam further explained: “The client lives in a memory care facility. We have built a great friendship and enjoy a lot of mutual things we like to do together. Those activities include walking, some hiking, driving through the mountains and eating ice cream. We also play with dogs brought into her facility and those outside of her residence.”
Assisting a person who lives with dementia is not a foreign experience for Pam, who first joined Home Instead of Louisville, Colorado, 11 years ago. “I took care of each of my parents for a period of time near the end of their lives. I cherished our times of fun, when my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and my dad had another form of dementia. We especially enjoyed going for drives, picnics and walks outside in their wheelchairs together,” Pam said.
Pam’s primary professional background is in sales, but she was laid off in the tech industry as a sales professional in 2023. Pam opted to return to caregiving – she had come aboard at Home Instead for a year in 2014 – because she was still interested in the field. “In addition to my parents,” Pam said, “I also cared for a close family friend’s mother. In general – including family caregiving – I find caregiving very rewarding. What I like most about my Home Instead Care Professional job is providing positive, fun and joy-filled experiences for my clients.”
Pam’s most recent stint at Home Instead began Dec. 16, 2024, and she was honored as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month for June 2025. Home Instead Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Brenda Munro noted: “We were glad when Pam returned last December in a full-time capacity. She is friendly and compassionate, and truly has a caregiver’s heart. She is also extremely reliable and has not missed a shift since she started back with us seven months ago.”
Pam said serving as a Care Pro has enhanced her life in ways that she could not have anticipated. “I have learned from my clients that living in the moment is really all you have, and it is what is most important. I have learned to slow down, seek joy in the moment, focus on what the client can do – not what they can’t do – and discover what compassion really means,” Pam said.
She enjoys working for owner Michael Lammers’ award-winning Home Instead franchise that serves Boulder, Broomfield and northwest Adams Counties. The franchise is a member of a network comprised of Home Instead, Inc. and its parent company, Honor. With the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform, Honor and Home Instead are revolutionizing care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
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.
