Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Tamara Tuburu addresses her clients with a term of endearment if they allow it: “I ask, ‘Could I call you ‘Grandma,’ ‘Grandpa,’ ‘Father’ or ‘Mother?’ I give them respect. I try to please them as if they were my father or mother or grandparent. They usually respond by asking to use my first name.”
Tamara pointed out: “When you put your client first as if they were your parents, you feel their pain. Their pain is your pain. If they are comfortable with me, they don’t hesitate to tell me if they are in pain. I see their heart. They understand me – that I want the best for them – just as I understand them.”
When it is appropriate, Tamara jokes with her clients and tries to keep the atmosphere light. Of course, there are quiet moments of introspection. She said: “When you value life, you have empathy and compassion for the people whom you serve. You ask yourself, ‘What if that were me going through these challenges?’ That kind of feeling for them makes me want to do even more for them.”
Shortly after joining Home Instead of Collin County in Plano, Texas, one of Tamara’s clients went on hospice last November. She battled her illness admirably, but the client passed away just before Christmas. Tamara recalled: “She felt like family to me. Anticipating Christmas from a couple weeks out, the sweet lady wanted only me for Christmas Day. She said, ‘Please bring your kids.’ She died on Christmas Eve.”
Tamara added: “She was so sweet. It aroused my ire that one of her medical providers was so harsh to her when I went along for her appointments, and I told that person, ‘Don’t talk to her in that manner.’ That’s not how I would want a family member treated. She is often on my mind. When the opportunity presents itself, sometimes I drive by her house and remember her.”
Tamara doesn’t shy away from difficult situations, whether it was in Ohio – where she formerly lived – or now in Texas. “I’ve always been given the tough ones. I had a 106-year-old client when I was working in Ohio. Occasionally, things are challenging. You cannot please everyone. But I get to know them and know how to help. I put the clients first and understand them. I work with different personalities,” Tamara explained.
Tamara has been in the senior-care field for the better part of 10 years. She was a CNA in Ohio and has been in Texas for two years. She lives in a Dallas suburb south of the award-winning Home Instead office, which is owned by Chase and Taylor Crenwelge. Tamara joined Home Instead in October 2025.
“Home Instead is a nice company. Its administrative function is excellent. They keep in touch with their clients and Care Pros. Information passes easily. My previous company in Ohio was not as good,” Tamara said. “I found Home Instead in a random search. I was looking for in-home care agencies. Home Instead was the one agency that was interested me.”
Tamara noted: “The best thing about working for Home Instead is its scheduling flexibility. I’ve got little ones, and Home Instead works with me awesomely. I have a military husband who is busy. When I started, I went straight to the office to work out a schedule. They said: ‘No problem.’ They always have my schedule of hours that I can work in advance.”
Tamara added: “I never want to surprise the Home Instead staff, unless something unexpectedly comes up at the last second. If you tell Home Instead ahead of time, it’s fine. I have never called off at the last minute, and I don’t call off on holidays. I plan to work Memorial Day Monday.”
Tamara can handle any challenge, and she said, “Anything that comes my way, I can handle. I’ve worked with people who have dementia and Parkinson’s, and some who have been on hospice. I must say my clients are awesome. Home Instead makes sure I don’t become overworked. The other company for whom I worked didn’t worry about its employees.”
Tamara described her two primary clients, including an 88-year-old man whom she assists Monday through Thursday. “He is a fall risk, so I help him with showering. I say, ‘Papa, I must help you.’ After a while, he said, ‘You are a great help.’ I make sure he walks some as we try to stay active. He has an 89-year-old wife, but she needs help with his care. He was a baseball and football coach. His wife was a teacher,” Tamara said.
Tamara’s Friday client is 100 and does well for his age. He uses a walker, and he is “super-fast.” Tamara added: “I take him to medical appointments. He is part of a three-generational family under one roof. As an African native, that is not new to me. I have seen a lot of three-generational households in my homeland. His 82-year-old daughter and I laugh a lot and talk. There also is a granddaughter and her husband.”
When discussing what her future might look like, Tamara said: “My husband wants me to eventually work in a hospital. But I pull back from doing that because of our kids. I need flexibility for them. Working for Home Instead is good for now. It is a better fit.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (469) 916-9202 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website at HomeInstead.com/278
