Julie Coker found her passion as a Home Instead® Care Professional several years after she had retired from a longtime insurance company position. Julie found a rewarding second career. She is so good at compassionately serving seniors on behalf of Home Instead of Collin County in Plano, Texas, that she was honored as the August Care Pro of the Month for the award-winning franchise owned by Chase and Taylor Crenwelge.
“I love this kind of work. I love the hours, the staff, the clients and the clients’ families,” Julie said. “My goal with all clients is to make people happy – the clients and their families. If I can inspire them to laugh and smile, it is a good day. I aim to fulfill the Golden Rule with my clients: treat them in the same way I would want to be treated. I receive fulfillment from helping others. I receive help from the staff. With training, I work on Home Instead’s online courses. They are very helpful, especially with dementia.”
When Julie retired from the insurance field at age 52, she thought she’d decompress from her high-stress job and slip into a low-key life that included crafting and other enjoyable hobbies. “But I ‘unretired’ and tried retail and later drove a transportation van for schoolkids. I previously had given Home Instead a try but could not get the hours I wanted, so I left a few years back,” Julie recalled. “I figured out later that I missed the seniors.”
In October 2025, Home Instead Office Manager Kelly Spawn called and asked if Julie wanted to consider returning to Home Instead. Kelly and Julie had developed a friendship from Julie’s first tenure, so Julie’s ears perked up when Kelly called.
“I thought, ‘Home Instead? Yeah, I’m coming back.’ I like it better now because the hours are more flexible,” Julie explained. “Kelly is one of my favorites. I’ve known her for a long time. The main reason I’ve wanted to make a place with Home Instead is that I feel appreciated with the company. I rejoined them Nov. 7, 2025. I’ll stay with Home Instead as long as I can, as long as God keeps me going.”
Julie said the job is not always easy because of the loss of clients after she has built relationships with them. “One of my clients from my previous Home Instead tenure had Parkinson’s disease and passed away. It was sad. The death of a client is so hard for me. But make no mistake about it – I understand all of us are going to get ‘there’ eventually,” Julie said. “I want to be a person who helps others toward the end of life. Empathy and reassurance are needed.”
Although Home Instead was Julie’s first job as a senior-care professional, she had plenty of experience as a family caregiver. “I took care of my grandmother and an aunt before they died,” she said. “I also took care of a cousin two years ago after she had a surgery. Thinking back to her time with her grandmother, Julie noted: “I took care of my grandmother when I was about 30 years old. After my grandmother suffered a broken hip, I began helping her at an assisted living care community. My cousin and I tag-teamed the family caregiving visits. That’s what family does. My grandmother was a solid Christian lady, a beautiful soul who had a clear mind.”
Home Instead Care Pro Advocate Amanda Ross, who announced Julie’s honor, said: “Julie is one of my grandmother’s Care Pros, and Julie is amazing. She knows just how to put a smile on her face. They have a notebook to write positive affirmations in every day. Julie goes above and beyond to make sure my grandmother is happy and to help me as well. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (972) 744-9898 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website at HomeInstead.com/413
