From Teaching to Senior Care, Rhonda Continues to Help Others
Rhonda Terrell enjoyed a 30-year teaching career and also served as a family caregiver while helping her elderly mother long before she joined Home Instead® of Birmingham in February 2020, where she was honored as CAREGiver of the Month for March 2021.
“I was introduced to senior caregiving when I assisted my sister, who was taking care of our mom in Alabama. During the summer break, I would take a couple of weeks to visit and help out. Taking that personal care of my mom made our relationship even better,” Rhonda recalled.
“My mother’s care was a quite process. She had lived by herself for a long time – living for 20 years as a widow is quite a while. We knew a change had to be made when we saw signs of forgetfulness. We did a family conference and decided to do what was best.”
Rhonda added: “Ultimately, we moved her out of her house. She went from having three floors in her home to having three rooms total. It was a big change. Emotionally, it is hard to care for seniors when you think about the role reversal that occurs with children. You remember the days when your parents raised you, but now they need help. Mom knew who we were, and she kept her sense of humor.”
With a compassionate and empathetic heart, Rhonda always has been helping someone or some people during her life. Referring to her career in education, Rhonda said: “I was a kindergarten teacher for 10 years. That job was in my heart. Eventually I taught in grades one through three. I took a break when I first moved from Connecticut to Michigan.” It was in Connecticut where Rhonda was honored with several other teachers during a special ceremony.
With teaching in her rearview mirror, Rhonda searched for another challenge. On Feb. 17, 2020, she joined Home Instead. “A former Home Instead employee is a friend and attends the same church I do. She recommended I apply for a CAREGiver position. It seemed like a good transition from the educational field. I wanted to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” said Rhonda, who accepted the job with the award-winning franchise about a month before COVID-19 changed the world, especially for seniors, who are the most vulnerable segment of society.
“After my initial training, we could not go to the office because of COVID-19. They gave us a packet of information about COVID-19 to read and digest, and Home Instead provided the PPE. The staff made every effort to make sure we were protected. CAREGivers became even more important because the clients’ family members who lived near their senior loved ones could not visit them because of COVID-19,” Rhonda said.
“Some clients were stressed about COVID-19, but I think they felt their care was good. Some had questions, and we assured them we were doing all we could to protect them. The clients got used to seeing us in the masks after a while. It was hard for some of them to hear us as we spoke through the masks. I had to speak a little louder but keep a controlled, low tone. They cannot see your smile behind a mask, but your tone of voice is a source of comfort to them.”
Avoiding a COVID-19 infection, Rhonda pointed out, involves using common sense while following guidelines. “If you are thoughtful, you’ll use a mask. I’ve had to adjust to it, but I take a mask everywhere I go. There is so much division over it, but we’ve lost so many people. You can’t take anything for granted and can’t let your guard down. We’ve worked at it,” Rhonda said.
Rhonda helped a 94-year-old client for nearly a year before the client passed away in late February. “She was in a care community in independent living,” Rhonda said. “I got to know her well. Toward the end, she was on hospice. She was a very independent lady, and she was very proper. She wanted to look good, and there was a routine for her to follow. More than looking good, the routine provided a comfort.”
In general with all clients, Rhonda said: “What I like best about my job is the valuable relationships I’ve been able to build with my clients. For the clients, you want to allow them to do as much as they can while doing it safely. The bonus is the camaraderie I have experienced between fellow CAREGivers and staff. I wasn’t expecting to be named a CAREGiver of the Month. There is fulfillment simply in the job we do.”
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.
