It was Friday, Sept. 12, 2005, and the start of something great for Melissa Callahan. That’s when she began a successful 20-plus-year run as an award-winning Care Professional at Home Instead of Collin County in Plano, Texas. Melissa sees no end in sight for her job.
Melissa, who has been honored twice as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Year, said: “I really like my Care Professional job – we were actually called ‘CAREGivers’ when I started. You’ve got to love this line of work because this kind of job isn’t for everyone. It can be challenging, but most of all, it’s fulfilling.”
Melissa has remained with Home Instead for several reasons. “The staff is really good and always has been. They’ve got your back in so many different ways, including flexible scheduling,” Melissa said. “The owners are really good too. Our current co-owners, Chase and Taylor, are the third set of owners since I joined Home Instead, and they are kind and caring. Todd Felker, the previous longtime owner, was outstanding, and so were the founding owners. You don’t find those kinds of people out in the business world anymore. The Home Instead owners support their employees and communicate well. The clients ultimately benefit.”
Co-owner Chase Crenwelge said: “Melissa has crafted an amazing tenure of service with our Home Instead franchise. She has an incredible heart for caring for others. It is fitting that we honor her for her 20 years of service.”
Melissa graduated from J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas, in 1981. She recalled: “I love animals and people. I was thinking about these career choices: veterinary work, home care or some other form of caregiving.” Fittingly, family caregiving had been modeled for Melissa, and family members encouraged her to try senior care. “Many of my senior-care skills come from watching my mother. She was a great caregiver. She took care of a number of relatives. She was a special person. Mom taught me a lot,” Melissa said.
Sadly, Melissa’s mother died at age 51 during the 1990s. “While I took care of my mother at times, I didn’t feel I helped her that much, only when she got sick. She had diabetes. At the end, she suffered a heart attack,” Melissa said.
Melissa’s late father had dementia, and he suffered from a heart condition. He passed away at age 86 in 2019. Melissa said, “My dad had been married to my stepmother for 46 years. She was a good caregiver for my father. My father asked me not to be his caregiver, but not because of any rift. He just wanted to keep our relationship as father-daughter. My stepmother is now in her 70s and lives in California with my stepsister. My stepmother encouraged me to go into nursing because she said I have a heart for it.”
In the 1980s, Melissa worked in nursing homes, but she tired of them. Melissa thought about becoming a CNA, but didn’t have the money or spare time to pursue certification. “I also worked in the hotel industry and at a Kmart as a department manager before the whole chain went out of business,” she explained.
Then it happened. Melissa found a senior-care employment publication and began checking out the various jobs, including those at Home Instead. “Home Instead offered me a job but didn’t promise it would work out. However, Home Instead liked me immediately because I was always on time, never missed a shift and bonded quickly with the clients and their staff members. The one shift I missed was because I had been hospitalized and underwent gall bladder surgery,” Melissa explained. “Many times I call in and ask to take shifts if I am not scheduled with regular clients. Why sit at home doing nothing if you can be helping someone?”
Home Instead Care Pro Advocate Amanda Ross had her list of superlatives ready when she was asked about Melissa. Amanda said: “There are a few things I know about Melissa:
- “Melissa is very good at breaking the ice with clients and their family members.”
- “She loves to listen to her clients’ stories and learn everything about them, and she works that knowledge into how she cares for them.”
- “Melissa is dependable and very loyal to her clients and their family members. She understands that the focus is not just totally on the client but on the family as well.”
- “Melissa knows how to gently talk people into doing things they don’t want to do, things they need to do for their own well-being.”
- “She is an excellent Care Pro and very deserving of being recognized for her 20 years of dedication to her clients and Home Instead.”
For her part, Melissa said: “I am going to keep working until they decide they don’t want me anymore or my health doesn’t permit me to continue. I love being around people and helping them. That always has been in my heart. I don’t want to spend my time at home.”
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/home-care/usa/tx/richardson/278
