When Sylvia Tircuit was comforting her husband during one of his hospital stays, Sylvia noticed other patients who were in the same situation as her husband. But many of those patients never had visitors. “I shared my compassion with some of them,” Sylvia said. “I was sad to see the hospital patients so sad.”
Sylvia’s empathetic heart always has shined brightly, a beacon of warmth that reaches those in need. She had retired to take care of her ill spouse, and she did the same for other family members. “I love the elderly and have always had an attachment to them. Even as a child, I was an old soul,” Sylvia said. “I took care of my grandmother in my younger days because I was close to her. I’d do such things as go to the store for her. Eventually, I had her come live with me.” With a chuckle, Sylvia said: “My grandmother introduced me to coffee and French bread.”
Not long after her husband’s death in 2020, Sylvia began to consider working for an in-home care agency. “Seeing the needs of so many seniors inspired me to want to do that kind of job,” Sylvia noted. “I wanted to give back to society, and I wanted to get out of the house to do something impactful.”
Fast-forward to November 2023, when Sylvia joined Home Instead® of Collin County, an award-winning franchise in Plano, Texas, that is owned by Chase and Taylor Crenwelge. “I was full of compassion, ready to help people. I found Home Instead online, and I liked what I read about Home Instead. I could see Home Instead really cared about its clients. It was my first professional caregiving job,” explained Sylvia, who volunteers one day a week to help seniors in addition to her job as a Home Instead Care Professional.
When asked what she likes best about her Home Instead job, Sylvia said: “It’s when I go to a client for the first time and then see the improvement he or she makes as the days go by. With my current client, his attention span has improved. In general, all my clients have liked everything I do for them. This doesn’t feel like a job.”
In July 2026, Home Instead Care Pro Advocate Amanda Ross announced Sylvia had been honored as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month. It’s easy to see why Sylvia was selected for her award – the family of her 88-year-old client told Sylvia and the Home Instead staff: “You make our life better. God sent you to us.”
Sylvia has been assisting his client since January 2025. “He feels like my granddad. I treat his family as if they were mine. The family, especially the daughter, need help so they don’t have to try to do everything. I take a load off them,” Sylvia said. Amanda said: “Sylvia is a wonderful Care Pro. Sylvia has been with her client for a good while. The client and his family just love her, and we do too! She is always willing to help!”
During four weekday shifts, Sylvia helps her client and his daughter in a number of ways.
- “My client and his daughter live together, and she has a job, although she works from home sometimes. When I’m not there, she is. His daughter and I are a good team. I like to work early morning shifts, arriving at 7:30 or 8.”
- “My client knows me and even says my name. I try to make sure his mind gets some exercise. When I arrive, he says, ‘I’m glad to see you.’ He gets around on his walker.”
- “I prepare his breakfast most of the time. Before I leave, I also prepare his lunch and a snack. He likes waffles and sausages, and occasionally a bowl of cereal. His family buys good food for him. It is a wonderful family. We agree on his meal preparation.”
- “I treat him every now and then. He likes Wendy’s. If it’s beautiful weather, we go riding and then go through a Wendy’s drive-through. We bring the food back home.”
- “He loves his backyard, where you can see all types of birds. He tells me about them. I have never watched so many birds, butterflies, rabbits and squirrels. We really get into nature. That’s one way we connect. He can talk all day long. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
- “His wife has been gone for about 10 years, and he talks about her all the time. Sometimes he’ll say something out of the blue. Emotionally, he has his good and bad days. I encourage him and stay positive. We try saying rhymes such as ‘Humpty Dumpty.’ We watch a little TV. He likes ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Andy Griffin.’ ”
Sylvia is an important part of the Care Pro team at the Collin County 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 senior care. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros who are 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 (469) 916-9202 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website at HomeInstead.com/278
