Evelyn Ended Retirement to Help Others
Retirement was fine, but after a while, Evelyn needed to do something that would make an impact on others. “I had worked 39 years for the U.S. Postal Service, and the job was a very good one. I was fortunate to have a comfortable retirement, but after being home for about a year, I still felt as if I had something to contribute, so I decided to go back to work,” Evelyn explained.
Evelyn came aboard Home Instead® of Lorain County, Ohio, in North Ridgeville in 2017. “I had always wanted to be a nurse, so someone had suggested being a Home Instead CAREGiver. So, I applied with Home Instead, and I’ve been with them for four years,” Evelyn said.
By doing so, Evelyn joined the ranks of more than 90,000 Home Instead CAREGivers worldwide, and Evelyn helped add to those numbers because of her strong belief in Home Instead’s purpose. It isn’t hard to see Evelyn lives the Home Instead principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” She has incorporated those qualities during each shift without ever having worked in professional senior care or receiving the opportunity to serve as a family caregiver for elderly family members.
“Other than taking care of my children, I was never a family caregiver for anyone else before becoming a Home Instead CAREGiver. But I think being a mother does prepare you somewhat for professional senior care. I’d also like to praise the Home Instead office for the excellent training I have received. The training does help tremendously,” said Evelyn, whose focus on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving helped her achieve CAREGiver of the Month status with the award-winning franchise owned by Karin Kollar, RN, BSN and Certified Dementia Practitioner.
To build on their knowledge and experience, Evelyn and other CAREGivers are offered the opportunity to increase their dementia-care skills by taking part in the Home Instead network’s one-of-a-kind training protocol. Home Instead’s Person-Centered Care Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for incorporating the evidence-based dementia-care practice recommendations in these topic areas: Alzheimer’s and dementia, person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication.
“The support I get from the Home Instead office is incredible. I am very happy to work for such an incredible company that provides an invaluable service to our seniors,” Evelyn said.
Home Instead General Manager Tammy Mosley announced Evelyn’s CAREGiver of the Month honor for June. Evelyn has embraced her role as a part of the CAREGiver team for Karin’s Cleveland-area franchise, a member of a highly successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Paul and Lori Hogan. The 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.
“I absolutely love my caregiving job for many different reasons, one being you meet incredible people. To be able to make a difference in someone’s life is priceless. When I go into someone’s home, my goal is to help them in any way I can and make them smile,” Evelyn said.
“I’ve met some veterans of the Korean War and other very distinguished individuals who were irreplaceable elements and sources of strength in their communities and neighborhoods – and they still are, as far as I am concerned. To be able to listen to their life stories, well, you can’t put a price on that.”
For Evelyn, touching lives impacts her soul, whether she’s providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role. “If I can bring happiness into my clients’ lives, then I feel very fulfilled and happy,” Evelyn added.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (440) 353-3080 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
