With Vicki Nearby, Client Always Feels Like a Winner
CAREGiver of the Month Vicki Gonzalez’s 89-year-old client can’t help herself when she plays Monopoly with Vicki. Without regard to the amount of Monopoly money she has, the client buys every property on which she lands. As bankruptcy looms, the client miraculously snatches victory from the jaws of defeat now and then. While describing the Monopoly outcomes, Vicki grinned like a Cheshire cat. Her facial expression told it all: The client always prospers when Vicki’s around.
So, it’s no surprise the client and Vicki have been together since Oct. 19, 2016, just days after Vicki joined Home Instead® of Martinsburg. “I’ve had her as a client almost five years. I never gave her up. I enjoy being with her. Monopoly, tic-tac-toe, watching movies – it doesn’t matter because we always have a good time,” Vicki said.
Nina Eastham, supervisor of the Martinsburg office, said: “Vicki’s client has come to depend on her and loves Vicki like family. She has assisted numerous clients, but Vicki has held onto this one. We absolutely love Vicki’s dedication and loyalty to her client and family. Vicki calls me well ahead of time if she needs a day or days off. By doing that, Vicki makes sure her client gets a CAREGiver who has been there previously and knows the client. Vicki does so much without any fanfare because she is very quiet and soft-spoken.”
If Vicki exudes a resolute unpretentious confidence, it’s because it is a quality that she developed during 30 successful years of helping people in various settings. Vicki has worked in care communities and even had a heartwarming 6½-year run as a private-duty caregiver before she landed at the award-winning Home Instead franchise that serves West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
“I love this kind of work. I enjoy helping people who need assistance. My heart goes out to them. I’ve worked with many people who have suffered from dementia,” Vicki said. “You don’t forget any of them or their personalities. My private-duty client was like a part of my family. She treated me like a daughter. She had a nephew, a power of attorney and me.”
A poignant moment with the 90-year-old client was emblematic of their relationship. “When I went to a weekend event, she was on hospice. I told her I’d be back after a couple of days. Her condition worsened, but she held on until I came back. She died the next day. When I arrived, I said, ‘Vicki’s here!’ She could not speak but blinked her eyes as her ‘goodbye.’ There is a lot of heartbreak when you lose a senior, whether he or she is a family member or client. I go straight back to work after losing a client. It’s the best thing to do,” Vicki said.
With all clients, Vicki strives for a family-like relationship that includes others in the client’s circle. “My long-time Home Instead client lives with her daughter and son-in-law. They are a good family. You don’t see a lot of that with nursing-home residents. I have seen a lot of seniors who are taken to a nursing home and abandoned. My client’s situation is uplifting. That’s what Home Instead is all about,” Vicki said.
Vicki has been an uplifting element at the Home Instead franchise, and Nina wanted everyone to know how valuable she is. Nina said: “Our Home Instead motto, ‘To us, it’s personal,’ perfectly fits Vicki because of her compassion, dedication and commitment.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (304) 263-4472 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
