Bernadette Experienced Caregiving Early in Life
Through a sorrowful turn of events, Bernadette Ford was forced to grow up faster than most people. When she was 9 years old, her mother died of cancer. When Bernadette was 14, her father passed away from heart disease. Two older sisters helped raise Bernadette and modeled compassionate care, self-reliance and wisdom.
“I was too young to be much help to my sisters with my mother’s care,” said Bernadette, who nonetheless absorbed everything her sisters did for their mother. “I was old enough to try to help with my dad’s care. My sisters and I took turns cooking, cleaning and doing what was necessary. Of course, my sisters were involved with my care.”
Later in Bernadette’s life, there was more family caregiving. But it involved her sisters. One passed away with lung cancer 25 years ago, and the other died in 2020 as a result of congestive heart failure. Then, also three years ago, Bernadette was busy while taking care of her husband, who had hip surgery. “He is much better now,” Bernadette explained.
Facing challenges so early in life accelerated Bernadette’s maturity and ability to deal with hardships much sooner in life than most people. “I’ve always had it in my soul to give back to people. When I was in high school, I carried the dream of joining the Peace Corps, but I never could do that. Now I get that opportunity to help others as a Home Instead® Care Professional. I understand what people need. I learned from my sisters,” said Bernadette, a Care Pro with Home Instead of Philadelphia.
Bernadette had a non-caregiving job when she decided last fall to look for a second job that would provide flexibility. “When I was younger, I helped in a group home where a friend also worked. Then I worked for another agency for years. So, when I went online last year, I googled ‘home-health agency,’ and found Home Instead,” Bernadette recalled.
“There are big positives about working for Home Instead. The ongoing training is great. I can always call and ask questions. Home Instead is like one big family. If I have scheduling concerns that come up, they are always flexible. Although I pulled back to part time, I sometimes take fill-in shifts. They communicate well. They will work with you. When I need something, I get it. I want to stay with Home Instead.”
Home Instead Service Manager Janelle Muhlanga announced Bernadette had been honored as one of the franchise’s Care Pros of the Month. Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart” are evident in Bernadette’s assistance with her clients and their family members. The unflappable Bernadette takes her caregiving challenges in stride. “I understand ‘cranky’ and ‘irritable.’ People are that way for a reason, and usually it is because of pain or maybe sorrow. In my other job, I have a person who comes by all the time to tell me about her pain and problems,” Bernadette said.
Bernadette loves working with her regular client, who is about the same age as Bernadette. They have been together since mid-November, spending three days a week together. “She talks about her life. We bonded quickly, and I became so attached,” Bernadette said. “She’s been through a lot. Her health challenges have been unfortunate. I am there primarily for companionship. We do a lot together and have become very close. I try to take her outside as often as possible if the weather is good. One day was kind of gloomy looking, and I was surprised she wanted to go out, so we did.”
Bernadette and her client share a love for the same style of soft rock music from the 1960s and 1970s. Bernadette said, “She doesn’t like any music with an edge. It’s her time, so we play the music she wants. I also had another client who went to Florida in November, and she liked jazz music. I was blessed with both clients. I love to listen to the music they liked.”
Bernadette loves being a part of the Care Pro team for owner Steve Levin’s franchise, a member of a network comprised of Home Instead, Inc. and its parent company, Honor. With the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform, Honor and Home Instead are revolutionizing care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (215) 925-4610 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
