Honoree Bernadette: ‘Helping Someone Is the Best Feeling’
Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Bernadette Miller’s caregiving experiences began at age 14 in her native United Kingdom, where she helped her grandmother after she had suffered a stroke. Later, when Bernadette’s mother also suffered a stroke, Bernadette took care of her too. After Bernadette settled in the United States in 1987, she embarked on a work career that included professional caregiving in Minnesota and then in Florida.
“I had worked at care communities for decades in Minnesota, where I was a PCA (Personal Care Assistant). I have done all forms of care, including work in dementia-care units,” said Bernadette, who also worked with Down syndrome children at a school in Minnesota. “I moved to Florida six years ago, and I joined Home Instead of Clearwater in January 2024. I heard about Home Instead by watching a television commercial.”
Bernadette has had a fulfilling experience with the award-winning Home Instead office that is guided by Franchise Owner Julie Castle and Vice President Colin Castle. Director of Care Professional Services JC Crady announced Bernadette had been honored as the franchise’s April Care Pro of the Month. “The job has gone well, and the office is great. They are very flexible,” Bernadette said. “I think of my clients as my own family members.”
Bernadette is working with two regular clients, both men who have spouses. By assisting the clients, Bernadette also provides a measure of support for their loved ones. “The clients are easy to get along with. They have good personalities. Their wives are good to work with too,” said Bernadette, who works with a man in his 70s who has dementia, while the other client, in his 90s, has mobility challenges. “The clients are fairly new, and I have been with the dementia client for about six months.”
Referring to activities with her clients, Bernadette said: “I like to take them to the Sportsman Warehouse, an outdoor recreation store. We go down the aisles and check out the merchandise and equipment. I’ll ask what the best fishing rod is and what you would use to catch a shark or some other fish. For the dementia client, being in that setting and asking him those kinds of questions brings back memories. For him, we’ll be there about a half-hour. His mobility is pretty good, but his focus wanders after a while. My other client is sharp and gets around on a walker.”
Bernadette added: “When I first tried ping-pong with the dementia client, he’d catch the ball and didn’t try to hit it with a paddle. The second time we tried, it was great. We were volleying. When I took him to a pool table, he knew how to hold the pool cue with his fingers, so I knew he had played before and remembered. In general, bringing back memories is a key to helping seniors feel better.”
As an experienced senior-care professional, Bernadette has learned to accept the “down” moments that are often created when an unexpected medical incident occurs. “With one client, her husband died unexpectedly. He had been taking care of his wife, who had dementia, and I had been there to help. After his death, my client had to go to a facility. Those are sudden, life-changing moments for everyone,” she said. “In general, there are many positive days. Knowing that I’m helping someone is the best feeling.”
When asked about her future, Bernadette said: “I’ll keep working until I retire. I’ll do it as long as I can. I am an only child, and both of my parents are gone. When I was young, my parents and I would come and go between Florida and the United Kingdom before I settled here. My most recent trip to Britain was in 2012, for a visit, so my home is in Florida.”
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