Destiny: Home Instead Came Along at the Right Time
Both of Home Instead® Care Professional Destiny’s clients eagerly anticipate her arrival each shift. For the gentleman, Destiny’s appointed arrival is 7 a.m. sharp on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. For the lady, Destiny walks in the door at 9 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays. They have bonded over a year’s time and have formed good relationships.
Now they are holding out hope that Destiny will keep coming even after she takes her State of Michigan board exam to become certified as an assistant occupational therapist. For now, Destiny holds the title of Care Pro of the Month at owner Glenna Yaroch’s award-winning Home Instead franchise that serves North Oakland County, including Waterford, Clarkston, West Bloomfield and 15 other communities.
The seniors are the two primary clients with whom Destiny started about a year ago when she joined Home Instead as she was working on college coursework. The clients immediately loved Destiny, and so did their families. The lady said, “I’ll be so sad if you leave. But I will understand.” Destiny replied by saying, “I will hopefully have a lot of options. I’ll have to see what happens.”
She volunteered to an observer: “I am happy with Home Instead. It is the best home-care company I’ve worked with – and this is my fourth agency. I’ve never had an issue with the Home Instead office. My first year with Home Instead has been a good one. Home Instead worked around my schedule. With occupational therapy, I can work with anyone or at any facility, and I still want to work with the elderly. I want to remain with seniors whether it is in OT or professional caregiving or both.”
As far as the Home Instead office is concerned with Destiny, the feeling is 100 percent mutual. Destiny heard these words from a staff member, “Even though you will be taking your state test, please considering staying.” One thing is for sure: Destiny has been driven to rise in a career from the moment she reached her senior year in college.
“In 2017,” Destiny explained, “I worked for an assisted living community during my senior year in high school. That was my first time working professionally with the elderly, and I gained a lot of experience. I liked building the relationships with the residents and their families, but I wanted to build better relationships, so I left the facility and switched to one-on-one care. I found I can help seniors more if I am one-on-one with them. When I worked in assisted living, I might have been responsible for as many as 20 residents at one time. I had to stay at work if someone did not show up for the next shift.”
Destiny set her goals high six years ago. “I am done with classes and am studying for my boards now. I had two years of prerequisites to get an associate degree and get admitted to the OT coursework. I was going to college and working at the same time,” she said.
“I found Home Instead on Indeed.com. When I went to interview, I found a nice, friendly environment. I liked the staff. I received an assignment right away. I knew I was in the right place. My shifts are not overwhelmingly hard if you compare them to what I had at the assisted living. I am there primarily for companionship. Both clients use walkers, and I am a standby assist. I help both with showers. They are both in their 90s. They live alone, but their families visit and are a part of the care picture. As I said, I appreciate the clients and their families.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (248) 886-7300 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
