Family Caregiving Put Phyllis on Course for CAREGiver Job
Welcome to Home Instead® of Ocala’s CAREGiver Spotlight. Each month, one of our amazing CAREGivers will be randomly selected to share their story with their peers — YOU. We know you will enjoy reading and learning more about Phyllis.
When family members needed help, they turned to Phyllis. She never thought that lending a hand to someone in need would be a training ground for professional caregiving, including a CAREGiver’s position with Home Instead of Ocala, but that is how life worked out. Phyllis’s Home Instead clients and their families are happy she chose her path.
“I first started taking care of my brother when he was diagnosed with cancer. Then, as the years passed, I began to take care of my mother. She was diagnosed with an artery disease and underwent a below-the-knee amputation. At times, my mother and brother would get set in their ways and even if you found that one little thing to make them smile, that would change their day and mine as well,” Phyllis explained.
“After my brother and mom passed away, I decided to continue my caregiving and use my experience to help others who were in need of assistance,” added Phyllis, who has been in professional caregiving for more than 10 years.
One of Phyllis’s nieces, who works as a home health care aide, recommended Home Instead to Phyllis for a possible employment. “Home Instead is just right for me – I love it. The office staff works with my schedule, and I also enjoy working with the seniors. Overall, I just like helping others in any way I can. It keeps me going, and I love my clients,” said Phyllis, who joined owner Carolyn Quintanilla’s franchise in April 2020. Carolyn’s award-winning office serves Marion County, including Ocala, Silver Springs, Belleview and Summerfield.
Phyllis added: “What I like most about being a CAREGiver is taking care of others when they are in need. I feel good about being there with the clients even if it means only taking them to the store or to the doctor or fixing them a drink. Everyone needs someone. For some of us, it comes sooner than later in life.”
Home Instead Home Care Consultant Anthoni Simonelli said: “Phyllis is exceptionally humble, almost to a fault. She seemed initially apprehensive at the idea of having a story written about her, and I am glad she finally accepted the opportunity to allow people to get to know her better. We’re so glad she’s on our team, and her clients feel the same way.”
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Phyllis provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Phyllis and other CAREGivers offer personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, dementia support, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility assistance. By expertly doing so, CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
For Phyllis and her fellow CAREGivers, touching lives impacts their souls, whether they are providing physical help or if they are offering emotional support in a companionship role. Phyllis 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 is easy to see Phyllis 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 (352) 622-6447 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
