Marjorie Began Helping Other at a Young Age
At age 15, Marjorie Muschette helped neighbors and just about anyone else who needed assistance in her native Jamaica locality.
“There was a real sense of community at that time, and I wanted to be part of that. I knew many older people and communicated with them. I’d run errands for them, doing it out of the goodness of my heart or accepting a small amount of money if they chose to give me something,” recalled Marjorie, who did the same thing in The Bahamas, where she later lived for many years. From The Bahamas, Marjorie moved to the Queens borough of New York City.
“I worked in daycare as I got older. I took care of babies and toddlers, young children of all ages. I later switched from kids to seniors and sometimes did both forms of caregiving. At times, I was taking care of babies and the elderly during the same day. It didn’t matter how old they were, I took care of them.”
Assisting seniors always has been on Marjorie’s heart. “I helped my grandmother in Jamaica after she reached a certain age and needed the assistance. I got the opportunity to care for her before she passed away in Jamaica in April 2020 at age 93. In Queens, I worked in home care and have done this kind of work for a long time,” Marjorie explained.
In 2017, Marjorie made another move, leaving Queens for Philadelphia, where she joined Home Instead® in downtown Philadelphia in December 2017.
“I had worked for other in-home care agencies in New York, but I was not getting enough hours. It is expensive to live there. One day after a four-hour shift, I was so fed up and frustrated that I went online, searched for home-care agencies and saw a Home Instead office. I was interested in the franchise, and they were interested in me, but it turned out to be too far away. It was impractical to work in that area because of the cost of transportation,” Marjorie said.
“I talked to a friend who lives in Philadelphia. She said it was less costly to live in Philadelphia, so I decided to move. I went on her advice and faith. I knew there would be Home Instead franchises, so I found one and applied online. I told the franchise, ‘I am moving to Philadelphia. Please hold a position for me,’ and they did.”
Marjorie joined the award-winning Philadelphia franchise owned by Steve Levin. In April, Human Resources Manager Charlea Lyn Grieco announced that Marjorie had been honored as CAREGiver of the Month.
Marjorie is a member of a six-CAREGiver team who takes care of a 24/7 client who has Parkinson’s disease. As far as the 87-year-old client is concerned, Marjorie is the most vital cog, but she’s not sure why. The client will shower only for Marjorie and asks other CAREGivers to leave many light housekeeping tasks for Marjorie because the client has leaned most on Marjorie since she joined her in June 2018.
“She wants me to do more hours – even seven days a week,” Marjorie said, “but that’s not possible. She has been in the same regular apartment building for 34 years. It is not a senior-care structure. I prepare all meals because there’s no dining room or meal facility.”
Marjorie added: “She is picky and can be a tough one, but I am patient and understand her. Personality-wise, she’s kind of ‘closed off.’ I can make conversation with her on her good days. She doesn’t like to go outside because of the street noise, but I try to get her outside for fresh air and a change of scenery if it is a beautiful day. She uses a Rollator walker, and I don’t want her to use her wheelchair because her legs need to be used to keep her health going.”
Marjorie feels strongly about continuing to help her client as long as it is possible, but Marjorie also feels there might be more to achieve someday. “I do look for other things in the future. It would be hard to leave this client. I am afraid if I leave, she might fade quickly. We’ll just go on and see where it takes us,” Marjorie said. “I do like Home Instead.”
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.
