Carmen Discovered Her Calling While Helping Her Grandmother
Years ago, Carmen Ferrer learned a lot about herself after offering to help her 77-year-old grandmother, who had a heart condition. Carmen, now a Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month for the award-winning franchise in Clearwater, had received the OK from her mother to move from New York to Puerto Rico for the selfless service of family caregiving.
“I found deeper patience, compassion, affection and other qualities. After that experience, I knew I could make a difference in people’s lives, tending to the vulnerable who are in need of help and emotional support,” said Carmen, whose grandmother was no longer the strong, independent woman who could take care of herself. “I assisted with her activities of daily living, including chores, cooking and other things. I loved caring for her and making sure her needs were met.”
At a much earlier age, Carmen also had helped her mother. “When I was 14 years old, I served as an interpreter for my mother when she went to a medical appointment or to the Human Resources Administration of the Social Services office. There were times she would take me over to a friend’s apartment to make calls for her friend because she didn’t speak English.”
Carmen found that helping others was an indescribably fulfilling feeling. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and embarked on 20-plus years of working with the elderly population. “I was a caseworker for a home-bound program for seven years. I also was an educational and recreational activities coordinator for a senior center for two years, as well as a Medicaid enrollment specialist for 15 years,” Carmen explained.
She learned about Home Instead through an advertisement. “I had relocated from New York to Florida on Dec. 12, 2019. It was at the beginning of COVID-19’s rapid spread and when the virus began taking people’s lives. I had started a new job as a counselor for pregnant women. It was a beautiful short experience, but I didn’t feel it in me. It wasn’t my calling and didn’t fulfill me, so I resigned. I decided to get a job working at what I know best – helping the elderly population,” said Carmen, whose first professional caregiving experience started Aug. 7, 2020, when she joined owner Julie Castle’s Home Instead franchise.
Explaining her passion for her job, Carmen said: “I have love, respect and admiration for my clients, who have lived a long life and experienced all the good and bad things that made them who they are today. Last spring, Director of Care Professional Services JC Crady announced that Carmen had been honored as Care Pro of the Month for March. Carmen embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
Referring to her client, Carmen said: “She is a respected educated woman who doesn’t have any family members left. She always speaks highly about her wonderful parents who gave her everything within their means. She has wonderful friends, and they get together at the clubhouse to play bingo and cards. My client goes out to eat with her friends on a monthly basis, and they share each other’s company. My client is compassionate and reaches out whenever a friend gets sick. Sports are an aspect of her life. She loves Michigan State football. She used to love playing golf, and she played like a pro.”
Carmen loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Pinellas County franchise, a member of the highly successful Honor and Home Instead network. Honor is the world’s largest home care network with the most advanced care platform, revolutionizing how society cares for older adults, their families and Care Professionals. Honor acquired Home Instead in 2021, and the combined company supports the work of more than 100,000 Care Professionals across 13 countries and meets the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
Our office serves all of Pinellas County, including Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, Largo, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Belleair, St. Petersburg, Gulfport and surrounding beaches. All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (727) 799-1400 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
