As a 4-year-old, Deb Palmer took care of her grandfather, pretending to be his nurse while providing a source of comfort before he passed away. There are many more memorable stories about Deb’s big heart and family caregiving feats.
“I grew up with one grandma living across the street and a grandma living upstairs in our home. While I was living at home, we as a family took care of them. In the end, it was my mom who became their primary caregiver. My grandmothers passed away at the ages of 94 and 100. As a child, my soul was filled as I sat with them. I also watched what my mom did for them. I loved listening to adult conversations,” said Deb, now an award-winning Care Professional for Home Instead of Louisville, Colorado. She joined owner Mike Lammers’ franchise in November 2024.
When Deb was 12, her mother suffered a mild stroke and was paralyzed on her left side. Since Deb was the family’s oldest child, she assumed the role of caring for her mother and her siblings. Deb recalled: “I took our clothes to the laundromat, got my siblings up before school, made breakfast and lunch, and got us out the door to catch the city bus. I made sure we returned home.” There was more: Deb made dinner for her family, went grocery shopping and did the housecleaning. “I was being responsible for our needs, plus handling my mom’s care,” Deb said.
During high school, Deb volunteered for work in a variety of places. “My most meaningful place to serve was at St. John’s Hospital, which no longer exists. I was a candy striper, where I did little things like refill water bottles, distributed magazines and took patients to the chapel for services,” Deb explained. “I also fed those who couldn’t do it for themselves, I would chat with lonely patients, and I would do whatever else the nurses requested. I loved that job! I did it for three straight years and hated leaving it when I graduated from high school. I wanted to be a nurse, but my parents didn’t believe education was for women.”
Deb owned a successful house-cleaning business for 20 years before joining Home Instead. She found time to help others outside her work. “I’ve always volunteered my time as an adult in organizations that filled my soul by serving others,” Deb said. “I served and led in church ministries. I connected the church family with organizations that needed to see Jesus in the flesh. I connected with women and organized church events, including Bible studies, prayer meetings and retreats that fostered friendships. I loved watching relationships form. We, as a society, were created to be in community with one another. I enjoy being part of these connections.”
Deb’s other obligations included raising two special-needs children in different spectrums of needs and one other child, who are adults now.
“I realized later that, as my children grew up, food makes a difference in your overall well-being, which led me on another journey to become certified to teach folks how to cook traditional foods as our grandmothers did. I help people look differently at food, which feeds their bodies so they can heal from within,” Deb said. “I enjoy teaching others how to make bone broths and meat-stock soups, sourdough bread from a starter, fermentation of veggies, cultured dairy, homemade dressings, organ meats and grass-fed meats. This way of living has helped my meal preparation for Home Instead clients. I’m always cooking with love and making it nourishing with what they have in their pantry. I’m told by some that what I cook is delicious.”
At home, Deb is intentional with time to feed her passion by creating art in the medium of watercolor and soft pastels. “I am always looking at my world in color and bringing it in my landscape paintings. I market twice a year at the Lafayette Art UnderGround Hustle event (LAUGH),” she said.
Deb’s Home Instead staff says Deb paints an optimistic and hope-filled picture for her clients with her caregiving skills and compassion. That is why she was honored as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month for May. Deb embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” For Deb, touching lives impacts her soul, whether she is providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role.
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.
