Latonya Glass had set her sights on a career in the culinary arts profession, but she ran into detours that took her into family caregiving, as well as private-duty assistance. Nearly three years ago, when Latonya was looking online for a second job, she recalled her caregiving roots and thought to herself, “Let’s give it a try.” Latonya landed with owner Kelly Hutchison’s award-winning Home Instead® franchise in Itasca, Illinois.
Her two jobs encompass Latonya’s two passions. “I am also a chef and have been in the profession for about 37 years,” Latonya pointed out. Of course, something else was cooking for Latonya, who explained: “As far as my family-caregiving experience goes, I started with my mom, dad, granny and sister. I also helped my best friend with her mom and uncle until they passed away. After that, I moved on and started my career doing what I wanted to do.”
Latonya could not have predicted what would happen next. “Once again,” she recalled, “I put my plans on hold when my sister asked if I could watch my dad because she had to go out of town for work. Ultimately, she never came back to get him, so I took care of him for 17½ years until he passed away. I never got a chance to fully realize my original dreams, so I decided to continue to give care to others when possible. I had caregiving stuck deep in my heart.”
Home Instead has been a good fit for Latonya. “I like taking care of others as well as working at my other job, so I decided to become a Care Professional. In addition to taking care of my family and friends, why not take a step further and provide help to others?” Latonya said.
Memories of the fulfillment from taking care of those closest to her helped Latonya overcome her initial job apprehension. “When I first started working for Home Instead, I admit I was scared. But I was thinking to myself, ‘If I can match what I had done for my family and friends, I know things will go well.’ There clearly is love in my heart for others, as well as compassion and empathy, and when you put those things together, it goes a long way to success as a Care Professional,” Latonya reasoned.
Home Instead owner Kelly, Human Resources Manager Alina Merrill and others on the office staff saw the same thing in Latonya as she successfully served her clients. When Alina announced Latonya’s Care Pro of the Month honor, Alina said it was clear that she displays Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations.
Latonya boiled down her thoughts to a lone statement: “What I like most about my job is that I can provide the proper care for others.”
Latonya loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Itasca 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 care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (847) 690-9825 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
