Care Professional of the Month Gayle Leatherman’s mind clicked instantly when she saw a woman leading a horse as Gayle was driving by with her client. “I spontaneously stopped to ask if my client could pet the horse,” said Gayle, noting her client, who had dementia, had been an avid horsewoman. That’s vintage Gayle – she always looks for ways to enhance her clients’ lives.
Continuing her story, Gayle said: “The kind woman invited us to her barn, where my client was able to brush the horse. It was a privilege to witness the pure joy, care and love radiating from this beautiful senior during those precious moments. Though her memory of the experience may have faded, the memory of her delight will forever remain with me. I was so happy for her. She is one of my most inspirational, faithful and kindhearted clients.”
Gayle’s impromptu act of kindness didn’t surprise the staff members in the Home Instead® office in Louisville, Colorado, which serves Boulder, Broomfield and northwest Adams Counties. For the second time in her seven-year career with owner Michael Lammers’ award-winning Home Instead franchise, Gayle was selected as a Care Pro of the Month. When she was first honored in November 2018, she also was named the franchise’s Care Pro of the Year.
Home Instead Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Brenda Munro said: “Gayle is reliable, caring and super flexible if we need to switch her schedule. She is an all-around amazing Care Pro. I wish I could hire 100 more just like her. She’s excellent, but she’s also humble. We picked her as our January honoree, but she really doesn’t love being in the spotlight.”
When Gayle was hired at the Boulder-area Home Instead office in January 2018, it was her third stint with a Home Instead franchise, also having worked for offices in Greeley, Colorado, and Hastings, Minnesota, where she was honored as a Care Pro of the Month in 2016.
As she recalled her return to Home Instead seven years ago, Gayle said: “Because of the pure passion, love and respect for the job, clients and their families, I decided to leave my administrative work and go full time with Home Instead. I love hearing my clients’ life stories. Respect and humor are two very important components in building a rapport with clients, so I often use the adage: ‘Laughter is the best medicine.’ ”
Describing her client’s joy of interacting with the horse, Gayle said: “One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is the opportunity to evoke feelings of nostalgia in my clients. Even if it’s for only a fleeting moment, as is often the case with my clients living with dementia, these connections can be incredibly meaningful.”
Through her conversations with a client, Gayle and the senior learned they shared a special bond. “My client and I learned we were from the same small Ohio town. We both cherished our love of the Ohio State University Buckeye sports programs. For every Ohio State game, she’d have me retrieve her beloved buckeye from the shelf for her to hold. Since her passing, her family gave me her buckeye, and I hold onto that buckeye in her memory. Go Ohio State Buckeyes!”
Gayle likes to assist dementia clients. “I don’t know why, but I gravitate toward them, and that’s something I have said for many years. I didn’t have any senior loved ones among my family or friends who had dementia, so there was no early exposure to dementia and the resulting behaviors. People with dementia are who they are, honest with their feelings and in need of someone with whom they have confidence. I worked in a nursing home off and on in Minnesota for a couple of years, and a lot of good care tips came from those nursing-home workers.”
There is heartache when a client passes away, but Gayle also has felt the pain of placing senior loved ones in a nursing home. “I witnessed it,” Gayle said, “and was part of the hardship that occurs when you need to put a loved one in another setting besides home. I assisted with placing my grandmother and parents in a nursing home, and it was a very hard and emotional time for everyone involved.”
She added: “That is why the idea of families being able to keep loved ones at home as long as possible is very significant and important to me.”
When asked what the future holds for her as a Home Instead Care Pro, Gayle touched on two subjects. “I would like to continue helping families and friends find the patience, empathy, understanding and pure love that our loved ones deserve. With so many uncertainties and fears, our seniors need time, attention and love now more than ever,” she said.
“I also want to say how special the entire staff is and would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Home Instead office for this award. They truly are a compassionate and dedicated group with whom I feel privileged to work.”
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.
