Beverly: My Clients Keep Me Going
Her Home Instead® clients are never far from Care Professional of the Month Beverly Gaines’s heart. “My clients keep me going. They are the reason I get up every day. I never call out from a shift. The thing is, some clients don’t have anyone else except us Care Pros because they have outlived their family and friends, or they live too far from them,” Beverly said.
Beverly remained with a client until she passed away. “The only ones there were her power of attorney and me. So, when people ask about my memorable situations, I think of client Linda, who was really special. Her entire family was gone. I was holding her hand when she died. She was in pain and always wanted me to stay with her. I did overnights with her. I’m still in contact with her POA,” Beverly said.
When the clients experience health challenges that seem insurmountable, Beverly asks to stay with them. After one client passed away, Beverly remained in the home and helped the client’s daughter deal with everything. “Some family members have never gone through this and don’t know what to do,” said Beverly, who has been supportive of her clients’ family members and offers pragmatic advice when it’s appropriate.
“One daughter had wanted to take her parent to New Jersey just to get her out of the house, and I strongly advised against it. The daughter did not know how serious her mother’s condition was. I felt any trip might endanger her mother’s health even further. The daughter ultimately listened,” Beverly said.
Beverly and one of her clients shared a precious faith. “We had strongly bonded. He expressed his strong beliefs, and I encouraged him in the matters of his faith. After he passed away, I remained in contact with his family. Another client, who had cancer, asked me to pray with him. In another case, I went to the funeral of one of my clients. In fact, I took off work and spent the entire day with the client’s family to assist and console them,” she said.
Beverly has a delicate, empathetic touch with dementia clients. “I’ve assisted quite a few of them. When their behavior becomes challenging, I give them their space and time to reset emotionally, usually by briefly stepping out of the room or line of sight. They often will forget about what had upset them. I hate to see them go through the phases of dementia. I pray for them,” Beverly said.
Beverly is a highly experienced, beloved and award-winning Care Pro. She joined Home Instead of Philadelphia in October 2004, one year after owner Steve Levin had opened the franchise. Her Care Pro of the Month honor in May 2022 was her second one with the franchise. On Oct. 6, 2014, Beverly also was honored for her 10 years of stellar service with Home Instead, where her compassionate work is duly noted. “I found Home Instead in the Yellow Pages. I walked into the office right after the phone call and was hired quickly,” recalled Beverly, who had done plenty of family caregiving before she took the Home Instead job.
As a family caregiver, Beverly took care of her grandmother and then much later, a great-nephew who had been injured. “I began helping with my grandmother’s care when I was about 7. She was in her home not far from where we lived. She had suffered a stroke and was confined to her bed. Six of us family members took turns caring for her before she died in August 1979,” said Beverly, whose two sons are in the same career field. Her oldest son is with another agency.
Asked about her future, Beverly said 18 years of service with Home Instead are not enough. “I have three regular clients, and I love them to death. This is what I like. God has blessed me with the ability and strength to do this. At Home Instead, we all get along like family, and I tell everyone that Home Instead is my family. I want to keep doing this,” she said.
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