Sometimes the smallest of thoughtful accommodations can make the day great for a senior. Home Instead Care Professional of the Month Joey Cook knows that well. One day at a time, he does everything he can to lift a client’s spirits.
One of Joey’s clients, Mr. C., has Parkinson’s disease – with the dementia that many times accompanies Parkinson’s – and lives alone in an assisted living facility. Mr. C. clearly enjoys the wonderful view from his apartment. Soon after Joey started helping him last May, workers began to perform soil treatments at one of the previously empty lots in preparation for a large construction project.
“To us,” Joey said, “it looked as if there was constant work being done, but no progress being made. Mr. C. often jokes with me when I arrive, ‘Well, you can see the tremendous progress they’ve made,’ gesturing toward a lot full of dirt that looks exactly the same as it did during my previous visit. It became a constant joke of ours.”
Joey added: “We were also fascinated, with childlike joy, by the large construction equipment moving around the lot. We often discussed how much his inner child wished he could be driving one of those things around, ‘playing in the dirt,’ as he often calls it.”
Weather-permitting, Joey and his client almost always take a walk around the building. Joey explained: “He’s a significant fall risk, so he really gets to walk only when one of us Care Pros is there. As a former avid biker, my client craves the fresh air. One day, I suggested we take a short detour across the street so we could look at the construction equipment up close. We must have sat there for about 10 minutes in silence, with Mr. C. just looking back and forth with a big smile the whole time,” Joey recalled.
“It wasn’t much action. I’m not sure if he remembers that day, but it brought him a bit of joy for a short period, and that brought me joy.”
Joey’s other client, Mr. B., lives independently in an apartment. Like Joey, Mr. B. formerly sold cars and was active in theatre productions. About a year ago, Mr. B. was finally persuaded to give up his car, a BMW convertible.
Joey pointed out: “I saw how much he loved that car, but he knew it wasn’t smart to continue to drive. As a result, one of my regular duties is to drive him to appointments, stores and the library. We occasionally see an interesting car on the road and talk about it. Once we saw a Bentley, and we both agreed it looked like a Mazda Miata for 10 times the price.”
The client’s laugh was priceless.
Creating opportunities for his clients to feel fulfilled – even if it’s for a short while – is one of the reasons Joey was selected as the March Care Pro of the Month at Home Instead of Louisville, Colorado. His honor was revealed one month before his one-year anniversary with the award-winning franchise that serves Boulder, Broomfield and northwest Adams Counties.
Joey loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Colorado franchise, 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.
