Honoree Samantha Loves Home Instead’s Warm Family Feel
Samantha Johnson took a look around the Home Instead® office in Clearwater, Florida, and knew instantly she wanted to work for the award-winning franchise. “I’d interviewed at a few other home-care agencies,” Samantha recalled, “but when I was waiting to interview, I saw Care Professionals bringing their kids to visit and heard everybody speaking warmly to each other. It had a family vibe. I felt really comfortable and welcome. So, I chose Home Instead.”
That was in the autumn of 2025, and less than two months later, Home Instead honored Samantha as one of its Care Pros of the Month. Home Instead Director of Care Professional Services JC Crady had found another valuable member for its strongly skilled family of Care Pros. JC pointed out that Samantha quickly displayed Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
Samantha, who found Home Instead on Indeed.com, already had established an accomplished professional senior-care career that stretches back nearly 14 years. “I started working as a Resident Care Aide in 2012. I was so scared at first because I had never worked in health care or professional caregiving,” Samantha recalled. “My cousin recommended the job because she was convinced I would be a good fit. She was right. I genuinely loved it.”
Samantha worked at an assisted living facility for five years until her daughter became ill. “I left to spend time taking care of my daughter because my time was more valuable at home,” Samantha explained. “I never really had to be a family caregiver for relatives other than my children, especially my youngest, with her diagnosis. I had taken care of my brother some years ago when he had jaw surgery. I stayed with him, blended his food and provided other care.”
After her daughter’s medical condition improved, Samantha re-entered the workforce and was a restaurant general manager for five years. “That job was fine,” Samantha said, “but I knew my heart was in professional caregiving. As a result, I started working at an assisted living facility again. I then decided I would love to provide one-on-one caregiving and have more time for the people who need help to remain in their homes.”
For Samantha, in-home care is the ideal job to have:
- “I love the opportunity to give my 100 percent attention to the client I am with. I'm not pulled in 20 directions.”
- “I love that I have the chance to be a light in a possibly dark situation or time in a client’s life. If I can make things better emotionally and generate a smile, I will have succeeded.”
- “I love learning from the clients and hearing stories about their lives. Seniors have so much knowledge. I’ve learned recipes, life hacks and lots of funny sayings.”
- “I genuinely want to make a positive impact.”
Samantha explained her empathy for seniors: “I can only imagine how frustrating or difficult it must be to live your whole life taking care of yourself and being independent and then all of the sudden you need help doing what you once did yourself. I love that I can provide dignity, patience and compassion.”
Samantha is in the process of making memories as a Home Instead Care Pro, which she hopes will equal or surpass the fulfilling times she has experienced at other jobs. Those included these two previous memories:
“I made dinner for a Scottish client one night, and I chose shepherd’s pie out of the blue. I hadn’t thought about my client’s ancestry. Of course, shepherd’s pie has a strong Scottish origin, with early recipes appearing in Scottish cookbooks,” Samantha recalled. “I was certain my client knew how to prepare the best shepherd’s pie, so I was a bit intimidated. I asked the client how she would like it prepared, and she said, ‘Make it how you want.’ I felt as if I had my work cut out. I was a little panicked, but I made it. And she loved it. She told everybody about it.”
In another situation, Samantha had a client who loved to play chess. None of her co-workers knew how to play. “I did!” Samantha said, “so every Tuesday and Thursday evening we played chess. He said it took all his stress away when he played chess. I knew how to play, but not that great apparently. He always won, and I knew how much it meant to him. I could only laugh. It’s the little things that can make the biggest difference. That is why I’m doing this work.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (727) 799-1400 or visit our website.
