In one fell swoop, Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Vanesa Mendoza won over a challenging 97-year-old dementia client and also thrilled one of her managers at Home Instead’s Collin County office in Plano, Texas.
Home Instead Care Pro Advocate Amanda Ross explained: “Vanesa has a special place in my heart because she took over the care of my client when I transitioned from my Care Pro position to my office job. Vanesa formed an instant bond with my former client. I was concerned at first because Ms. B. had a history of not wanting younger Care Pros, but Ms. B. was just wonderful with Vanesa. Ms. B. recently passed away, and Vanesa was an amazing comfort to the family and Ms. B. in her last days.”
For reasons that are only good, Vanesa will never forget her experience with Amanda’s former client. Vanesa said: “The client had a great sense of humor and was very sweet. She saw me as her ‘niece,’ and every day I was there, I would play ‘The Band Played On’ by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. She’d always sing it to me while telling me how she met her husband. A Virginia native, she was working for the Red Cross at the time, and he later asked her, ‘Will you marry me and move to Texas?’ She responded, ‘I will go to the moon with you.’ They were married for 70 years. May she rest in peace with her beloved husband.”
Referring to her two-plus years with Home Instead of Collin County, Vanesa said: “What I like about my job is I become part of the client’s family. Over time, I build a strong connection between myself and the client, becoming part of the client’s everyday life. Once I enter through the doors, I see a big smile on that person’s face. If I am with that individual for an extended period, he or she sees you grow, fail, succeed and struggle through life. The clients provide wise words that help me overcome obstacles that help guide me to success. Coming from a family-oriented family, they become very special to me.”
Family caregiving also was special to Vanesa and might have played a role in pointing her toward professional senior care and a possible medical career. “When I was growing up, my grandfather had a heart problem. He often went to doctors’ appointments. I was there for him every step of the way. I would take his blood pressure every morning, make sure he took his medications and ate his recommended diet, and encouraged him to stay active as much as possible. With his care, I gained experience in caregiving,” Vanesa said.
Vanesa found Home Instead when she was at a point in her life where she wanted to focus on a career in a healthcare environment where she could gain experience and learn bedside manners. Vanesa wants to become a nurse.
“Working for Home Instead has reassured me of my decision to work in the healthcare industry and has allowed me to take the first step into my career. The knowledge and skills I’ve learned working with every client have served as valuable information for my education. In December, I will graduate with my Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS) as an Electrocardiograph Technician and an AAS as a Certified Nursing Assistant. I will be applying to the 2024 fall nursing program,” Vanesa said.
With Home Instead, Vanesa typically takes care of clients who have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. She said, “It takes a lot of patience and understanding of how each individual’s mind works. Over the summer, I attended my clinicals at a rehabilitation facility, where I spent my time in the memory care unit.”
Vanesa added, “I learned valuable information about each person, which has helped with my clients. Having each person develop a routine minimizes confusion and prevents sundowning, a period of emotional confusion that can happen during the evening.”
Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty, Amanda pointed out. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Vanesa embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
Amanda added: “Vanesa has been an excellent addition to our office. Because she is so dependable, she is consistent with her clients. Vanesa has worked with some of our most challenging clients. She has a natural ability when redirecting clients to change the mood or focus. I truly appreciate Vanesa’s dedication to her clients and their families. She has a very genuine, loving and caring heart.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (469) 916-9202 or apply online at https://www.homeinstead.com/location/413/home-care-jobs/ . For further information about Home Instead, visit our website at https://www.homeinstead.com/location/413/
