Her Mother Received Amazing Care, Inspiring Bernice to Enter Professional Caregiving
How did Bernice Christie reach the pinnacle of her profession by being honored as a Care Professional of the Month at Home Instead® of Philadelphia, an award-winning franchise owned by Steve Levin? Dig deeply enough, and there’s always a backstory that pinpoints the beginning of a successful person’s passion for her career pursuit.
Bernice explained: “My aunt, God bless her soul, took my mother into her home and cared for her when my mother’s health began to fail. I could not be there because I lived a long distance away. After knowing what my aunt had done for Mother, I said to myself, ‘I think one of these days, I would want to take care of someone in the same manner in which my aunt did for my mother.’ ”
For Bernice, “that day” arrived more than a decade before she joined Home Instead in 2015. Bernice worked for another company for a year and a half, and she served as a private-duty caregiver for nine years. “That job involved in-home care. My client had an excellent family. She had some mobility and was highly educated, but she did not talk much because she had Alzheimer’s. Sadly, she died in 2015.”
That’s when Bernice learned about Home Instead from a friend.
“Home Instead, I love the company. The communication and job flexibilities are good. I like working with the clients. I love the job on a whole,” said Bernice, who took a live-in assignment with a client for whom she assisted for five years. The client, who had dementia, died in March 2022 at age 96. “She was a good person who had a good family. She never really complained about anything.”
For the past two years, Bernice successfully took on the added rugged challenge of keeping her client safe from COVID-19 while also remaining healthy herself. “I protected my client, and she stayed healthy. I stopped taking her to the care community apartment building’s dining room, and I brought her meals to her room. I continually washed everything and sanitized the surfaces in her apartment. I would get her outside for fresh air and an occasional change of scenery,” Bernice explained.
Since the client’s children could not come to visit their senior loved one, Bernice facilitated the daily communication between her client and her family members. “I’d put her on the phone every day between 4 and 5 p.m.,” Bernice said.
Bernice, a strong faith-based person, offers to help her clients in every aspect of care. Sometimes, depending on the client’s wishes, the assistance can be spiritual. Bernice said: “I can judge the situation pretty well, and if the client broaches his or her faith, I might ask, ‘Can I pray for you?’ No matter what, I always encourage them. I tell them, ‘It’s OK. It will be all right.’ I get close to them and build up their trust in me.”
Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty, Home Instead General Manager Charlea Lyn Grieco pointed out. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Bernice embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” She is someone who is exceptional at her work with any client, Charlea said.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (215) 925-4610 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
