Family Caregiving Prepared Jackie
Long before Jacqueline “Jackie” Dudus joined Home Instead® of Clawson, she came through the rigors of family caregiving for eight years when she managed the care of her parents and husband before each died. Those challenges prepared her for what was ahead. For the past 10 years, including the last 12 months with Home Instead, Jackie has been a professional caregiver.
The family caregiving experiences are indelibly etched in Jackie’s memory. Jackie’s mother suffered with severe arthritis in her knees and hips. When injections no longer helped, Jackie’s mother was forced to use a walker, lift chair and wheelchair. But that wasn’t the worst of it. While battling the arthritis, Jackie’s mother suffered a major stroke. “Dad and I did all the exercises with her, and I even taught her how to write again,” Jackie recalled.
Then Jackie’s father was diagnosed with cancer. “I assisted him with medication reminders and by going to his chemo appointments with him. During cancer surgery, his bladder was removed, so I learned how to assist him with a urostomy bag,” Jackie recalled. “Dad’s cancer went into remission for about a year. But Mom’s glaucoma advanced, and she also was diagnosed with dementia. Even more, my husband could no longer work because of his worsening rheumatoid arthritis and other complications. Things became worse when Dad’s cancer appeared in his liver. The chemo made him sick and took away his will to hang on. He passed away in 1998.”
The misfortunes kept coming for Jackie. “I lost my office job. After seeing my responsibilities shuffled for three years, the corporate office’s philosophy changed once and for all, and a 50-year-old woman with 22 years’ experience was no longer considered an asset,” she said, referring to herself. “Furthermore, my husband’s condition worsened with other complications, and he died in 2007. Mom had another stroke and passed away in 2013 at age 93.”
Diving into professional caregiving seemed like a natural move. Jackie worked at an assisted living facility and built on her family caregiving experiences with many responsibilities. “I was trained as a nurse assistant by the registered nurse manager. We had 26 men between the ages of 65 to 90. There were three workers on duty 24/7,” Jackie said.
Among her responsibilities, she worked with five diabetics and handled two wound-care residents. A blind resident needed personal care. “I was his favorite. He always called out for me,” Jackie said. “All but two of the 26 residents needed shower assistance. I also assisted with medication distribution. After two years, the facility closed, and I joined an agency that handled hospice cases. I became aware of Home Instead when I was with that agency. I worked the day shift and relieved the overnight Home Instead CAREGiver. When my last client died, I waited for my former agency to assign a new client, but it was taking too long. That’s when I decided to come to Home Instead.”
Home Instead quickly learned it had a gem of a CAREGiver, and Jackie was honored as the CAREGiver of the Month for December. “I have a lot of life experiences, including experience with seniors and others who are infirm. I can read facial expressions and body language, and I can relate to people,” said Jackie, who also praised Home Instead’s professionalism.
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Jackie provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Jackie offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Jackie and her fellow CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
To build on their dementia-care skills knowledge and experience, Jackie and other CAREGivers at the Clawson office are required to take part in the Home Instead network’s one-of-a-kind training protocol. Home Instead’s Person-Centered Care Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for incorporating the evidence-based dementia-care practice recommendations in these topic areas: Alzheimer’s and dementia, person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication.
“Working with my Home Instead clients, I do my best for all of them. Some of them are fun and have provided unique experiences. One client not only loves to watch old movies, but he loves to keep an eye on the critters that roam in the backyard of his acreage. We have deer, rabbits, birds, dozens of squirrels and a fox,” Jackie said. “His house is in a country setting and has that kind of feel to it despite being right in the middle of his suburban town. He’s comfortable there, and we want to keep him there as long as possible.”
Jackie loves being a part of the CAREGiver team for the Clawson 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 CAREGivers. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 CAREGivers across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (248) 203-2273 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
