The Home Instead® client had thought of an unusual way to spend more companionship time with her new Care Professional, Tasha Walker. At first, the client’s plan was befuddling for Tasha, to say the least, but both Tasha and the client were laughing when the gig was up.
“It was my first day with the client, when I had been with Home Instead for a few days. I took my client grocery shopping and was driving her new SUV. For our return trip home, my client was giving her special directions to her house, but I felt we were lost because it had taken about only 10 minutes to get to the store. I asked her a few times, ‘Are you sure we’re going the right way?’ She replied. ‘Yes, just keep driving,’ ” Tasha explained.
“We seemingly were lost. I tried to turn on my phone GPS, but the battery was too low. I had problems at first with finding the correct charging port. Then I stopped at a store to buy an adapter. Something in my mind told me to check the SUV’s arm rest, where finally I found a charging port that worked. It turned out we had gone about 40 minutes out of the way of our destination, her home. Together, we laughed out loud.”
Getting to the punch line, Tasha said: “I got us back on track. I gently told my client, ‘I thought you knew your way home.’ She said, ‘I do. I wasn’t ready to go home, so I didn’t tell you the right directions.’ No way could I be upset. It proved companionship is one of the most important senior-care components. That Home Instead memory is among the great memories I still talk about all the time.”
Tasha always has had a heart for those in need or who are lonely. It was no surprise that she had provided massive amounts of compassion and empathy during her life’s journey before arriving at Home Instead® of Collin County in Plano, Texas, 3½ years ago.
“From an early age, I have always wanted to help people and be an advocate for those in need. I went to Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock and received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work,” Tasha explained. “When I was a young girl, I would write detailed information down for my grandfather to help him remember things. As he got older, he became legally blind from glaucoma, and he called me ‘his little secretary.’ In my teenage years, I drove my grandmother around for errands and medical appointments.”
Tasha added: “I also was a hospital Candy Striper as a teenager. In that job, I worked as a volunteer who visited with the patients, cleaned their rooms and helped with meals. Under the supervision of nurses, I helped the appropriate patients walk in hospital hallways for exercise and a change of pace.”
Tasha nurtured a son who was born with delayed learning disabilities. She said, “A mother’s job is challenging and also rewarding, but to care for a child with learning disabilities is a whole different kind of parenting. I most definitely was his primary caregiver and advocate. Children with those challenges get overlooked and left behind a lot. Parents have to stay on top of everything. My son is grown now and doing well.”
Professionally, Tasha worked as a private-duty caregiver for about 12 years with a family. “They were wonderful. I took care of a beautiful young lady who was born with muscular dystrophy, among other health problems. She was bed-bound, had been on a ventilator since birth and had a feeding tube. I handled her breathing treatments and took her to medical appointments, as well as ordering medications and daily supplies. Caring for her was a joy, but unfortunately she passed away in 2020,” Tasha said. “I took a few months off to get back on track after my long-term client passed away and began to look for work again. I found Home Instead through a television commercial and Indeed.com.”
When Home Instead Care Pro Advocate Amanda Ross announced Tasha had been honored as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month, Amanda said: “Tasha has a great nature about her and is a very comforting person. She is such a sweetheart! She has cared for many long-term clients including a scheduler’s father.”
The Home Instead scheduler, Garnet Oden, said: “Tasha has always been on time and willing to help with her clients if they need an adjusted schedule. She loves my dad, and I appreciate her connection and dedication to her clients, especially my dad. Tasha always has a smile on her face, too.”
Tasha praised her employer. “It’s been my pleasure to work for Home Instead. The office staff and our franchise owner, Todd Felker, are very nice and care deeply about the Care Pros. What I love most about working for Home Instead is the staff. It is easy to work for them, including the fact that I can make my own schedule. The Home Instead staff cares about us Care Pros, including our concerns and well-being,” Tasha said.
“Working with my clients has been my pleasure and most definitely a blessing. I love what I do. When I get to work and see a smile on my clients’ faces just because I had returned to assist them, that is all I need to keep me going every day. My clients make me feel as if I’m caring for my grandparents. It’s really a good feel and brings back a lot of great childhood memories. One of my favorite Home Instead memories is working on Christmas Day and watching my client enjoy her family. Many clients don’t have families who live nearby. It touched my heart.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (469) 916-9202 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
