Lauren is a wise, savvy CAREGiver who knows how to relate to her clients wherever they are mentally or physically. Late one night, Lauren metaphorically climbed into a client’s realistic dream, helped him steer a careening car and safely apply the brakes.
Recalling the situation, Lauren said: “The client was jolted in the middle of sleep. He was calling for help. He was sitting on the side of his bed and had his arms out in front of him. When I asked what was wrong, he said: ‘The car is out of control.’ He was dreaming he went on a joyride. The car was going too fast, and he couldn’t stop.” Speaking figuratively, Lauren said: “So, I got in the car with him and helped him slow down and bring it to a stop so he could go back to sleep.”
According to one medical expert: “A number of psychological triggers can cause these nightmares. For example, anxiety and depression can cause the nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also commonly causes people to experience chronic, recurrent nightmares. Nightmares can be caused by certain sleep disorders.”
Lauren’s quick improvisation showed she understands her clients’ wide-ranging challenges, and she proved she’s ready to shift gears to provide the best possible assistance. It isn’t hard to see how Lauren lives the Home Instead Senior Care® guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
In June 2020, Lauren joined the Home Instead Senior Care franchise that serves central Houston, including Bellaire, The Heights, Medical Center, River Oaks and West University. Mechelle and David Minter are co-owners of the award-winning franchise. Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Kae Taylor announced in October that Lauren shared the franchise’s CAREGiver of the Quarter honors for July, August and September with Minerva Cunningham.
Lauren’s interest in senior care goes back a ways.
“My mother had taken a CNA class when I was in high school so she would have the skills to take care of her parents. This was the first time I was introduced to caregiving. I helped with my grandmother on the occasions when my mother could not,” Lauren explained.
“I have worked in several professional caregiving venues. I started in a Minnesota long-term care facility after high school. When I moved to Texas, I went straight to another long-term care facility but since that time, I also have worked in home care, restorative care, assisted living care and memory care.”
Lauren added: “I have been a professional caregiver since 2011, but I stopped working in that career field a few years ago. I opened a florist company and found myself in need of a job when the COVID-19 pandemic began. I was looking into different job options and thought I would really like to get back into caregiving again. I filled out an application, and Kae called back.”
For Lauren, explaining the “whys” and “hows” of what she does is simple: “I wanted to help people and have a job in which I would be needed wherever I moved.” Lauren added: “I find the most satisfying part of my job is being able to see your client get better because of the care you gave them. A great memory I have with a client is being able to see the 100-year-old gentleman feel an improvement in his comfort as a result of our actions as CAREGivers. I had the wonderful pleasure of being able to attend a birthday party for him.”
Lauren said she thinks the biggest current senior-care challenge is working around the COVID-19 virus threats. “Caregiving is a very personal job. To worry that a potential threat can be passed between each other – CAREGiver and client – can be scary. I just make sure I’m taking the right precautions. I would say the clients with whom I work are cautious. To help them feel comfortable, I make sure I have proper PPE on at all times and practice the best protocols while consistently taking the best safety measures. As Home Instead says all the time, ‘To us, it’s personal.’ ”
All Home Instead Senior Care CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (713) 403-2273 or apply online at https://www.homeinstead.com/582/home-care-jobs. For further information about Home Instead Senior Care, visit our website at https://www.homeinstead.com/582. Our Home Instead Senior Care office at 2656 South Loop West Suite 565 in Houston (77054) serves central Houston, including Bellaire, The Heights, Medical Center, River Oaks and West University.
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