Honoree Margarita’s Senior-Care Experience Began at Age 9
Margarita Montesdeoca already was touching hearts and sharing her empathetic soul when she was 9 years old. Margarita served as the primary caregiver for her great-grandmother and began creating a lifetime of memories that have stretched into her journey with Home Instead® of Clearwater, Florida, where she is an honored Care Professional.
Referring to her great-grandmother, Margarita said: “As her family caregiver, I helped her go to the bathroom and even walked her around in a rustic, homemade wheelchair. That experience at such a young age really shaped me and gave me a lot of compassion and patience.”
Margarita has about 15 years of experience as a caregiving professional. She joined Home Instead in June 2025 after retiring from her previous job. “I found Home Instead when I was looking for something meaningful to do after retiring. I still wanted to stay active and do work that makes a difference, and this felt like the right fit,” Margarita said. “After retiring, I decided to continue working part time with Home Instead because caring for others is something I truly enjoy and feel comfortable doing.”
Margarita has been successful in her three short months after coming aboard owner Julie Castle’s award-winning Home Instead franchise that serves Pinellas County. Director of Care Professional Services JC Crady announced Margarita’s selection as Home Instead’s Care Professional of the Month for August. JC said: “Margarita embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ ”
JC added: “Home Instead’s core values are: ‘Treat each other with dignity and respect, encourage growth in ourselves and others, and continually build value in our service to others.’ Home Instead’s mission is to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families, and to pioneer greater professionalism within care work. Margarita and our other Care Pros have created a care experience that’s based on human touch, transparency and compassion.”
Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations.
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Margarita provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Margarita offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Margarita not only assists her client, but helps her client’s family members eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom, Home Instead Vice President Colin Castle said.
Margarita savors her moments with her client. “What I like most is knowing I make a difference in someone’s day. Sometimes it’s the little things, such as sharing a laugh, preparing a meal or just sitting and listening that mean the most. It feels good to bring comfort and companionship,” she said. “So far, I’ve worked with only one client, and she has been wonderful. She used to be a model, and she loves telling me stories about those days. Sometimes she shows me her old pictures, and I really enjoy seeing how happy she gets when she talks about that part of her life.”
Margarita has been an important addition to the Care Pro team at the Clearwater 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 (727) 799-1400 or visit our website.
