During the past 16 years, Christina Ruffin's inner drive for taking care of others has evolved from primarily making a living – something everyone must do, of course – to working for a greater purpose. Christina easily could have left the caregiving realm for another field, but caring for others is what motivates her to get up every day.
"I started taking care of the elderly and individuals with disabilities to make money. But, years later, my soul truly has affirmed what I already had been feeling: I love what I do, and now I do what I do because I love my clients. They are like family to me," said Christina, who was honored by Scheduling Coordinator Rebecca Garcia as her Home Instead® franchise's CAREGiver of the Month.
Owner Greg Gomez-Mira's award-winning Home Instead franchise serves south-central Houston, including Arcola, Bellaire, First Colony, Fresno, Greatwood, Iowa Colony, Lake Olympia, Meyer Park, Meyerland, Missouri City, Pearland, Quail Valley, Riverstone, Rosharon, Shadow Creek Ranch, Sienna Plantation, Stafford, Sugar Land, Sunnyside, Sweetwater, Thompsons and Westbury.
Christina found Home Instead when she saw a television commercial for the world's leading provider of in-home care services for seniors. Home Instead's network consists of more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises in the U.S. and 15 other countries. Christiana's office is a member of the successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Paul and Lori Hogan.
The Home Instead employment process was a quick one for Christina. "I filled out an online application, received a call from the Home Instead staff, went in for the initial training and orientation and started working the next day. I was between jobs at the time, and getting hired by Home Instead was absolutely the right timing and a blessing for me," Christina explained.
Christina's professional caregiving career began during her college years and was a necessary source of income. "When I think of my background, where I've come from and where I'm going, I would have to admit I'm not going to get rich. But I have a wealth of memories and receive a lot of satisfaction from being able to make someone's day a good one or even a great one, whether it's companionship or supplying the needed assistance. It's just a pleasure to work with all the clients with whom I have come in contact," Christina said.
"What I love most about my job is providing a service to someone who doesn't have family and friends who can help or if the client's physical ability does not allow him or her to take care of himself or herself. Being a CAREGiver takes a special type of person because you must have a caring heart and a lot of patience. I love how a client anticipates my arrival and is ready to have a conversation or have coffee with me. The clients also sometimes are antsy about having me help them with whatever duties are involved with making their life better."
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Christina provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Christina and other CAREGivers offer personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, dementia support, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Christina added: "I don't have just one favorite client story. All of my clients were great, and it is just a pleasure to have worked for them."
For Christina, touching lives impacts her soul, whether she's providing physical help or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role. Christina 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 that Christina lives the Home Instead® principles of "Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart."
Home Instead CAREGivers, who are screened, trained, bonded and insured, provide a variety of services to help keep seniors independent. For inquiries about employment with Home Instead, please call (713) 955-1909, email Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Margi Kenny at margi.kenny@homeinstead.com or fill in the email prompts at https://www.homeinstead.com/541/home-care-jobs, where there is an online application. For further information about the company, including Home Instead's services, please go to its website at https://www.homeinstead.com/541/home-instead-senior-care. Our Home Instead franchise serves Houston, Arcola, Bellaire, First Colony, Fresno, Greatwood, Iowa Colony, Lake Olympia, Meyer Park, Meyerland, Missouri City, Pearland, Quail Valley, Riverstone, Rosharon, Shadow Creek Ranch, Sienna Plantation, Stafford, Sugar Land, Sunnyside, Sweetwater, Thompsons and Westbury.
