Gloria Draws on Beautiful Memories of Clients, Their Families
Twice-honored CAREGiver℠ of the Month Gloria Corbin made a solemn commitment to a long-time client. “Before she died,” Gloria recalled, “she made me promise to keep an eye on her husband.” The 96-year-old client passed away last June. Her husband is 89, but he doesn’t need a Home Instead® CAREGiver because he is sharp mentally, can adequately take care of himself and still drives. His closest family member, a stepdaughter, lives about 50 minutes away, and she tries to check on him once a week.
As promised, Gloria and her late client’s husband touch base weekly. The widower says the same thing each time they speak, and Gloria never fails to become emotional. “He always says, ‘Call me if you need anything.’ Here’s an elderly gentleman who is all alone, dearly misses his wife and is asking me if I need help. It makes me cry,” Gloria said. “He has told me, ‘Gloria, you’re special because you and my wife were like sisters. She told you everything.’ ”
Gloria has the feeling her late client is pleased. “She once asked if I thought she would make it to heaven, and I told her I had absolutely no doubt. I joked, ‘You’ll be singing to God and maybe even bossing Him around.’ She was blind but was not bitter about her blindness and told me, ‘That’s God’s plan for me,’ ” said Gloria, who assisted the client for nearly three years before her death. She had suffered from chronic leukemia but was not on hospice when she became ill and died three days later.
“She once told me, ‘God sent you to me.’ I told her it was the other way around: ‘God sent you to me.’ After she died, I thought, ‘How will I do without her?’ I decided to think about all the great moments I had with her and the wonderful memories. I have a treasure chest of memories.”
Gloria added: “There was another memory about my late client, who always received a hug from me at the end of a shift: One day, she pulled me aside and whispered, ‘I don’t think my husband receives much attention from others. Do you think you could give him a hug too before you leave?’ I started giving him a hug before I left. Her daughter noticed that and was touched.”
Allyson Starling and Kristi Piotter, who are both managers for the Winchester and Martinsburg Home Instead franchises, were thrilled to announced Gloria’s second CAREGiver of the Month honor. Gloria works for the franchise in Winchester that serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Her first CAREGiver of the Month honor came in January 2019.
After Gloria’s 2013 retirement ended a 43-year career as a hospital registered nurse, Gloria joined Home Instead in April 2015. “I was so bored sitting at home quite a bit of the time. I wanted to go back to work, but I didn’t want to go back to a hospital setting,” said Gloria, who spent 20 years as an ICU nurse.
A church friend was working as a CAREGiver and suggested Home Instead. “She said I’d love it, and she was right. I chatted with Kristi Piotter, who was a CAREGiver recruiter at the time, and she was fantastic. She talked about Home Instead’s values, and they were like the ones I have. I love their compassion,” Gloria said.
Gloria served briefly as a family caregiver for her parents; her dad passed away 17 years ago, and her mom died 12 years ago. Gloria brought them home from the hospital for the last three weeks of their lives. “I miss them. The memories are fresh as I take care of the elderly,” she said.
Another precious memory is one of a 99-year-old client whom Gloria assisted for 3½ years. “He promised he’d live to 100. I was with him in a nursing home before he died. As we were talking, we remembered our great times. We recounted when we together planted 60 irises when he was 98. We recalled our trips to the senior center. I also wrote his life’s story, talking to him about it over the course of several months. I got pictures out of a photo album to go with certain passages of the story. I then gave the story and pictures to the family,” Gloria said.
“During a daily routine, the client asked without fail, ‘Did you wind my mantle clock?’ We smiled about it, and his family knew about it. After the client passed away two years ago, the family presented me with his 60-year-old British-made mantle clock as a keepsake. I was overwhelmed. I wind it every day and think of my client. I named the clock for my late client, ‘Charlie.’ The clock is sitting in my living room. I don’t let anyone touch it.”
Gloria had some key caregiving observations:
- “Hold onto the great memories; they will outweigh thoughts of the challenging times.”
- “Sometimes we forget the clients’ families need care. I’ve stayed in contact with some families because it helps them deal with their loss.”
- “Seniors are so much fun, and that grew on me as I got older.”
- “When I have little aches and pains, I tend to think of the worst. But then I think of my clients’ challenges and tell myself to stop worrying.”
“I look forward to getting up every morning and going to my clients. I miss the ones who have died or moved away, but I still have memories of them. I am so thankful to be doing this. I think I should be thanking the seniors for the opportunity to be with them. It is simple: I just listen to them. That’s all they want.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (540) 722-8750 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
