Kaila Has Never Lost Her Focus on Caregiving
Caregiving, Kaila Williams said, has always been her calling, especially with the elderly.
The 30-year-old CAREGiver of the Month at Home Instead® of Clearwater has worked in caregiving since she was 17, when she first shared her heart and skills in hospice and nursing homes. “I have a passion for this work,” Kaila said.
In addition to professional caregiving, Kaila served as a family caregiver during a challenging time. When she was 19 – and nine months pregnant – she traveled to Ludowici, Georgia, to care for her mother, who had cancer and was bedbound. “I felt honored to be able to care for my mother until her passing. I wasn’t expecting at such a young age to need to do that, but I would do it all over again if I was presented with the same situation,” Kaila told Home Instead Director of CAREGiver Services JC Crady.
JC and other Home Instead staff members were thrilled when Kaila chose to join owner Julie Castle’s award-winning franchise in March 2021. JC said, “When she came in for an interview with Rachel, Kaila immediately felt comfortable. She said she felt as if she had found ‘her home.’ ” Kaila noted: “Everyone was so welcoming, especially JC, Tanya and Rachel.”
Kaila added: “I love the flexibility of this job. While my clients receive my care, I feel I also receive something from them. They give me a lot of joy, and I enjoy listening to their life stories. I truly enjoy what I do and love sharing my heart with my clients.”
Among the considerations for achieving CAREGiver of the Month status, an employee has shown that he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty when circumstances required it. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Kaila embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ Sometimes her performance seems to “fly under the radar,” but Kaila is someone who is exceptional at her work with any client.
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Kaila provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Kaila offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, dementia support, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility assistance. By expertly doing so, Kaila and her fellow Clearwater CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Kaila, a native of Hopewell, Virginia, believes she can always learn something from everyone she encounters. Kaila especially enjoys hearing stories about the “good old days” from seniors. She said her current client keeps her laughing. “Every day is different with him. He is a real character who appreciates my help and keeps me smiling. I love hearing his stories. When you love what you do, it makes a big difference,” Kaila said.
Kaila loves being a part of the CAREGiver team for the Pinellas County franchise, a member of a highly successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Home Instead network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 90 million hours of care annually throughout the U.S. and 13 other countries.
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 CAREGivers 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.
