Linda: Companionship Is the Blessed Tie That Binds
Companionship is an underrated component of senior care. No one knows that better than Linda Slaughter, the Care Professional of the Month in September with Home Instead® of Philadelphia. “What I like most about my job as a Care Pro is the communication with my clients,” Linda said.
Linda, who celebrated her seventh anniversary in October with the award-winning Home Instead franchise owned by Steve Levin, recalled when she was employed at what is now Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley in Germantown for about 25 years. “While working at Stapeley,” Linda said, “I volunteered my services as a seamstress to the residents there. I found that basically it was companionship the residents desired more than anything.” Linda loved to share her heart with the residents and was an empathetic listener. She has followed that course with Home Instead clients.
Referring to her clients, Linda said: “I really enjoy learning about their past, where they grew up and their family history. Through sharing our life experiences, I have developed a friendship not only with the clients, but with the clients’ families. I still have a relationship with the family members of some clients who have bade farewell to their loved ones.”
Compassion and empathy are taken into account for the Care Pro of the Month award, but so are many other components of care, including possessing the skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Home Instead Service Manager Janelle Muhlanga pointed out that an honored employee also has shown she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Janelle said: “Linda 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.”
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Linda provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Linda offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Linda and her fellow Care Pros not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Linda, whose working life almost always has involved service to mankind in one form or another, began working with Home Instead in October 2016. “I learned of the agency through a friend who was employed with Home Instead at that time,” Linda said. “Prior to becoming a Home Instead Care Pro, I was employed as a nanny after resigning as a preschool teacher. Before my position as a teacher, I was employed at Stapeley.”
Linda loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Philadelphia 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.
“I would say my favorite interactions with my Home Instead teammates have occurred during our quarterly training. During those sessions, the Care Pros are able to open up and share their concerns as the true professionals they are. The staff works diligently to address any concerns we Care Pros may have. They do their best to accommodate the Care Pros’ needs,” Linda said.
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.
