Bobby Brought 18 Years Of Experience to Care Pro Position
Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Bobby Bagay fondly looks back over the years to his starting point in professional senior care in Israel in September 2003. Fast-forward 20 years. Exactly one year after Bobby joined owner Bert Copple’s award-winning Home Instead franchise in Clawson, Michigan, Bobby achieved his honored Care Pro status in April 2023.
“I found Home Instead because my wife Rubie sought our immigrant visa sponsorships under the caregiver category from Mr. Bert Copple, who helped bring us to the United States. My wife encouraged me to work also for Home Instead because I am an experienced professional caregiver, too,” said Bobby, a native of The Philippines who met his wife in Israel in 2008 and married in 2012. Rubie also continues to work for the same Home Instead franchise.
“I worked in Israel for 18 years. My first year was a difficult time because it was my adjustment period away from the family. Of course, the Hebrew language is hard to understand, and I had many clients. After 18 months, I found a long-term client. He had Parkinson’s disease, and I spent 7½ years with him until he died September 2012. After that, I found another client. For him, I was ‘an all-around helper’ for nine years. I also had two weekend clients, one who had suffered a stroke and another one who was handicapped.”
Bobby never was involved with hands-on family caregiving because his paternal grandparents died when he was very young. Bobby could not help his maternal grandparents because he was working abroad. He also was a world away from his father when he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2014.
“The sad truth is, I was unable to help take care of my father, who died in April 2017, because of my work in Israel. Even though I couldn’t take care of him physically, I still made a way to make him feel as if I was there. I met his emotional needs. My father had a great impact on me. When you add in my experiences as a caregiver and in life, including the opportunities to bolster my will to remain strong during challenges, I am able to help the seniors who are in need of help,” Bobby said.
For Bobby, touching lives impacts his soul, whether he is providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if he is offering emotional support in a companionship role. Focusing on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving helped Bobby achieve Care Pro of the Month status.
Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown he 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. Bobby embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” He is exceptional at his work with any client.
“I just love helping seniors and using my experience as a professional caregiver to make their lives better,” Bobby explained.
Bobby had a touching story when asked about his most memorable experiences as a Home Instead Care Pro. “When I gently implored a client to eat so he would live longer, he replied, ‘Why do you care about me?’ I answered, ‘I want you to live longer.’ At 10 p.m., when my shift ended, I said: ‘Goodbye, sir. Take care! I’ll see you next week.’ My client replied, ‘When I’m resurrected,’ and he smiled. A couple of days later, I received a message from Home Instead that my client had passed away. This client was really comfortable with me taking care of him. I take solace in that fact,” Bobby said.
Bobby loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Michigan 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.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (248) 203-2273 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
