No Challenge Is Too Big for Ihuoma
When a Home Instead® client needs care, CAREGiver of the Month Ihuoma Ukasoanya has always been available no matter the risk or difficulty. One client recently tested positive for COVID-19, and another was a hospice client suffering during the final stage of colon cancer. Their predicaments were heartbreaking, but Ihuoma didn’t hesitate to care for both of them.
The frail cancer client had multiple health concerns because his disease had spread to his other organs. The client, who couldn’t do much for himself, constantly experienced severe pains that left him depressed. One day, the client’s colostomy bag became detached and created a huge mess. “When I arrived, he described his pain and despair from the ordeal. I reassured him, cleaned up the situation – thanks to my nursing background – and I made him comfortable,” said Ihuoma, who had been a highly successful licensed registered nurse in her home country of Nigeria in West Africa.
With the help of Ihuoma’s encouragement and positive attitude, the client’s desire to live was restored, and he continued to fight the disease. Not surprisingly, Ihuoma quickly became the client’s favorite CAREGiver. “One day,” Ihuoma recalled, “I was sent to him for care after he was discharged from the hospital. When I arrived, he shouted out my name and said, ‘Ihuoma, I am dying.’ I held his hand, reassured him and wiped his tears. That was an emotional moment for me.”
The client introduced Ihuoma to his friends and told them he was thankful for her care. “That was emotional and at the same time, I was inspired to do more for anyone who will be in need of care and help. Although he passed away after some time, I was pleased to be part of the team that cared for him. It meant a lot to me that he was at peace before his death,” Ihuoma said.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic opened the door for Ihuoma to help someone else who was in extreme distress. One morning, HR Manager Charlea Lyn Grieco called Ihuoma and gave her stunning information that a client had tested positive for COVID-19. Ihuoma explained: “During my discussion with Charlea, I was given an option not to accept giving care to the client if I didn’t prefer to do it. Within my being, a voice was like, ‘How can I abandon her in times of need even though I have not been her regular CAREGiver?’ I accepted the opportunity to take care of her until she passed away. That was truly a moment of choosing from among my family, the risks involved and the client. I am glad to render care when needed and am grateful that no one in my household got infected.”
It came as no surprise when Charlea announced Ihuoma’s honor as February CAREGiver of the Month at Home Instead of Philadelphia, the award-winning franchise owned by Steve Levin. Although Ihuoma has been a full-time CAREGiver for only about a year, she obviously has made a huge impact. Ihuoma’s skill, compassion and healing touch are a part of Ihuoma fabric.
“What I like most about my CAREGiver job is rendering service to persons who are in need, putting smiles on people’s faces, showing empathy and assisting them to the best of my ability on activities of daily living of which they cannot do by themselves,” said Ihuoma, who discovered Home Instead via an internet search.
Ihuoma was looking for a job while waiting to pass the nursing board exams to become a registered nurse in the United States. It is a slow process that is continuing. In the meantime, working for Home Instead has been a good fit for Ihuoma.
“Within the time of my job searching,” Ihuoma said, “I got similar offers from different home health care agencies, but I chose Home Instead because I was impressed with its recruitment process, acceptance, some level of transparency in information sharing and coordination of activities within the organization.”
The Home Instead network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 80 million hours of care annually throughout the U.S. and 13 other countries. Ihuoma is among more than 90,000 CAREGivers worldwide, and she has helped add to those numbers because of her strong belief in Home Instead’s purpose. It isn’t hard to see Ihuoma lives the Home Instead principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
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.
