Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Kevin worked hard for 12 years in hopes that his loyalty and performance would pay off in a promotion to Vice President of Sales. When the call finally came, there was a catch – Kevin was being rewarded, but it meant transferring to the corporate offices in St. Louis. Lost in all the excitement was the fact that Kevin was faced with leaving his elderly parents, Bob and Della, behind in Texas.
His parents did what most parents would do – they encouraged Kevin and his family to take advantage of the promotion Kevin had worked so hard to achieve. They said, “don’t worry about us” and “we’ll be fine” but the nagging thought that Kevin couldn’t shake was that he was deserting his parents when they needed him the most. On a rainy Thursday morning he decided to call Home Instead.
Home Instead in Bryan/College Station scheduled a Care Consultation that included Kevin and his wife, Kevin’s mom and dad, and the Home Instead Client Care Coordinator. At the meeting, the Client Care Coordinator listened intently to the way that such a move would impact the family. She learned that Della was a breast cancer survivor and that Bob suffered from COPD. She also learned that Kevin’s dad didn’t drive anymore and that he was dependent upon his wife for all transportation.
As the discussion continued, it became evident that Kevin’s parents needed assistance with preparing nutritious meals, help with running important errands, transfer assistance, and other non-medical activities. What wasn’t said was that they were going to need companionship -- eyes and ears in the home to be sure that all their needs were being met.
They agreed to give Home Instead a try starting the following Monday.
Home Instead selected the perfect CAREGiver in Michelle. Michelle, a 10-year Home Instead veteran, had accumulated over 20,000 hours caring for seniors in her career. Michelle had the uncanny knack of anticipating the needs of her clients, and Bob and Della were no exception. When Michelle started with Bob and Della, in addition to helping with tasks around the home, Michelle taught them how to use FaceTime so they could keep in touch with Kevin and his family. Michelle also introduced them to Farkle, backgammon, dominos, and Yahtzee.
Kevin and his family made the move, confident that – with the help of his Home Instead in Bryan/College Station CAREGivers – everything would be fine. As Kevin’s family settled into their new lives in Missouri, Bob and Della settled into their new normal consisting of frequent FaceTime calls, phone calls, emails, and holiday cards.
Kevin’s career blossomed, as did the care provided by their Home Instead CAREGivers. While it took some time for Kevin to get over his guilt for leaving his mom and dad behind, he was comforted by the new life the whole family was experiencing. If ever there was a win-win situation, this was it!
Bob and Della took great pride in Kevin’s promotion – and began to accept Michelle as part of their family. They were constantly amazed at how their relationship with Michelle strengthened every time she visited them. Michelle’s dedication to her craft as a CAREGiver was highlighted by her budding relationship with her “new best friends”. By placing their relationship squarely in the focus of their daily interactions, Michelle was able to show Bob and Della that everything she did for them was done out of respect, caring, and the joy of helping others. She often remembered the phrase “relationship above task” as she went about her day, caring for her clients and putting Kevin’s mind at ease that he had, truly, made the right decision to engage Home Instead in Bryan, Texas.
Stories like this are heard in Home Instead offices around the world. Caring for one’s parents creates a delicate balance within the homes of adult children of aging parents and the seniors, themselves. At Home Instead, we offer solutions that satisfy multiple generations simultaneously.
