Adriana Draws Inspiration From Home Instead Clients
CAREGiver of the Month Adriana Sorto-Rojas points out that Home Instead® clients have helped her as much as she has helped the clients, and perhaps even more. In fact, several clients have inspired Adriana.
“My favorite Home Instead story comes from a client who detailed her personal journey on getting her college doctorate degree (PhD). I admire her so much that it kept me from quitting school. She gave me amazing advice on school life and personal life, and it motivated me to keep looking forward to life in the future,” said Adriana, who was honored as CAREGiver of the Month for March about 18 months after joining Home Instead of Winchester, Virginia, an award-winning franchise that serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Adriana added: “The same client told me about her time traveling to India and going to Catholic school.”
Another client told Adriana she was from New York City, and she missed “the Big Apple” so much. “The client said it was not easy to move here, but her husband loved Virginia. She moved here because she knew she was not getting any younger. What always made me laugh were the times when she boldly said, ‘I’m from the Bronx,’ and I thought it was adorable that she took pride in her birthplace and background. She would say, ‘Us New Yorkers are nice people.’ I could not disagree,” Adriana said.
One client will forever stand out to Adriana even though Adriana helped her for only one shift. Adriana explained: “She was an adventurous woman. Her daughter told me her mother would take trips at the last minute. If a friend asked her to go somewhere, she would not think about it twice and just go for it. Just hearing about her from her daughter was beautiful. It speaks to me in a way that says, ‘Don’t be afraid to do something extraordinary.’ ”
Allyson Starling, who works in the franchise’s human relations department and in recruitment and retention, praised Adriana’s efforts and announced her CAREGiver honor. Allyson and the Winchester staff praised Adriana with these words:
“Our Winchester office is proud to announce Adriana as CAREGiver of the Month! Adriana is always willing to help in any way she can. This was very clear during the recent snowstorms, when she stayed with our client through the storm to ensure the client would not be without care. Whenever we send her to a new client, the client immediately falls in love with her, just as we have. She has a way of making our clients and their families feel comfortable. Adriana never complains. And she is so caring and respectful toward all of our clients. That’s why we’re recognizing her hard work with this CAREGiver of the Month reward. Adriana, thanks for being part of our team! Congratulations!”
When Adriana applied online for the Home Instead CAREGiver position, she wasn’t confident. “I had no professional senior-care experience because the only jobs I’ve done were flower fields and retail. My former job was not giving me more hours, so I decided to look for another job. I looked over the Home Instead website, and I was nervous and thought maybe they wouldn’t hire me when I applied. But the next day, they called and I went to interview a couple of days later. And I’ve been working here ever since. I learned a lot at orientation and you learn more when you meet and work for the new clients. I never took care of an elderly family member,” Adriana explained.
Asked what she likes best about her Home Instead CAREGiver job, Adriana said: “I enjoy becoming friends with the Home Instead clients. I like the clients’ wisdom and advice, and I also like their honesty since you can’t find that quality among a lot of people during this day and age. The franchise’s clients can also be like someone who cheers for you on the sidelines when you tell them about an event going on in your life and they give you sincere compliments.”
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.
