Gaby Follows Her Heart Into Caregiving
Gabrielle “Gaby” Molina’s caregiving roots run deep, and the clients at Home Instead® of Lubbock have benefited.
In high school, Gaby participated in the medical program that allowed her and other students to go to hospitals and nursing homes, help the employees and receive hands-on learning experiences. “I really enjoyed it. Since then, I have been in the medical field. My first job was in a nursing home, and I gained a lot of experience there, which has allowed me to be the best I can be for my clients,” said Gaby, who is a CNA.
Despite that valuable senior-care experience, Gaby admitted that being a CAREGiver was a bit intimidating at first. “It’s scary, thinking that someone’s life is in your hands, but my mother always told me ‘just treat your clients as if you’re taking care of me.’ That’s exactly what I do and will continue to do,” Gaby said.
She found the award-winning Home Instead franchise owned by Tracy and Terry Baugh through a friend in 2017. After becoming a CAREGiver, Gaby left Home Instead to try something different, but that job was nothing compared to Home Instead, she said. “I have been with Home Instead continuously since December 2018, and I have loved every second of it!” Gaby said.
“I’m very thankful to Home Instead for letting me come back. They welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to be a part of the team again. It’s hard to find a job you love where they are flexible and work with your schedule. Working with Home Instead has allowed me to be a full-time employee while still being a full-time mom to my son, and I will forever love them for that,” Gaby pointed out.
In the family caregiving realm, Gaby’s grandmother has had two strokes and an aneurysm. Gaby said, “Over the years, we as a family have helped her work on her speech and on regaining her body strength. She is very independent now, but I still help her with cooking and cleaning around the house. It’s very interesting what the brain can do and how it can heal and compensate after a traumatic event has occurred. I’ve always been fascinated with the medical field, and I hope to go back to school one day to become a nurse,” Gaby said.
Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Juanita Camacho noted that Gaby combines her compassion and empathy with a curiosity and inner drive about how to help clients even more as she becomes more familiar with them. “Gaby is proactive and looks for ways to improve the quality of care for our clients. She has a positive attitude and sees the bright side of every situation, plus Gaby has a calming demeanor that puts our clients at ease. Gaby is so humble, just a joy to be around because she is always thinking of others before herself,” Juanita said.
Gaby goes the extra mile in her job, Juanita said. “Gaby is a reliable person who believes in arriving early at our clients’ homes. That is much appreciated by all involved, especially when it’s an 11 p.m. shift,” Juanita said. “Gaby is compassionate, kind, patient, understanding and hard-working. All these qualities show in the care she provides for our clients and the peace of mind she brings to our clients’ families.”
Juanita added: “She communicates well with the office staff, medical professionals, family members and co-workers. Gaby is truly a shining star who works overnight shifts every weekend. She is an amazing CAREGiver.”
The biggest benefit to her job, Gaby said, is that she loves helping others, and just being able to put a smile on the Home Instead clients’ faces makes her day. “We as people sometimes forget how easy it is for us to just simply dress our self, take a shower and perform other activities of daily living. Being able to help my clients with the simplest tasks and make their days a little easier – I’m here for it!” she said.
“I love my current client so much. During my first overnight shift with her, she was so worried about my comfort. I planned to be sitting in a chair while she was going to be sleeping in her bed. She tried to move over so I could fit on the bed with her. I told her I was here to help her, but that whole night she was so concerned and wanted to make sure I felt comfortable. She has a big heart and is a very good storyteller.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (806) 281-4663 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
