Having Experienced Family Tragedy, Andres Remains Determined to Help Others
Andres Frens’ most memorable family-caregiving experience was excruciating, but the tragedy served as the impetus for personal growth and a promise. “It was the most difficult and painful period of my life, but it gave me the strength and inspiration to continue to help those in need whenever I could,” said Andres, a CAREGiver of the Month who compassionately serves seniors and their families on behalf of Home Instead® of Midland-Odessa.
Andres explained: “During my adult years, one of my siblings was diagnosed with cancer two months after arriving in America. At that time, he was living with me and another sibling. Being new to the country and due to financial constraints, we could not afford medical treatment for him. As a result, we just had to accept life as it was, and we cared for him to the best of our abilities until he was called to Higher Service.”
To know Andres’ childhood background is to know his heart. A South American native, Andres was born in Delta de Amacura, Venezuela. He grew up in Imbotero, Guyana, on northwest border with Venezuela in an area known as the hinterlands of Guyana. “There are lots of forests, and transportation is mainly by water,” Andres said.
“In my country, growing up in a community where there was a high level of poverty, certain values were instilled in us as children. Coming from a large family, I always witnessed my parents helping others who were less fortunate than us even though we had just a little more than others. Those values have been embedded in me all my life. I never had the opportunity to take care of my grandparents or a parent. My grandparents were deceased while I was a child. I left home at an early age, seeking employment to help my family, before immigrating to the U.S.”
Andres ended up in New York City, where he worked for a number of years in the hotel industry before deciding to take early retirement and move to West Texas. “My wife and I always had visited Texas on vacation because the tropical environment reminds us of the countries from which we came,” he said. In 2019, Andres and his wife relocated to Odessa, Texas, and spent time at home unwinding before deciding to try to make an impact in society. “I began exploring ideas of how I could make a meaningful contribution toward helping those in need,” Andres said.
“After several discussions with my wife and with the help of another family, we chose foster parenting. After seven months of fostering two children, which we both enjoyed, the kids were reunited with their mom. I thought of other ways to help people, and it also had been my dream to work with the elderly. After the departure of the foster children, I browsed the internet and found several caregiving agencies. I chose Home Instead,” Andres said.
The move to senior care stirred memories of Andres’ long-ago goals before he entered the hotel industry. “I completed the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and CNA programs with the intent of becoming a nurse or EMT Unfortunately, those careers were put on hold for financial reasons,” said Andres, who joined the award-winning Home Instead franchise in Midland on Sept. 30, 2021. He was honored as January CAREGiver of the Month about three months later.
“Overall, working with Home Instead has been a heartwarming experience as it has given me the opportunity to fulfill my passion. Helping my clients on a daily basis, seeing their expressions of contentment and also hearing them express gratitude for my service makes me happy as a CAREGiver. This inspires me to want to do more for them,” Andres said.
He pointed out: “There are so many uncommon experiences that have evolved for me from time to time. One situation that stands out was administering eyedrops to a client who becomes tense when that time comes. We CAREGivers accept the fact that he will always needle us, saying that ‘no CAREGiver can get it right.’ The gruff directions are predictable: ‘Gosh darn it, put it to the corner and not on the eyelash or in the center. OK, that’s it.’ As CAREGivers working there, we all have become accustomed to hearing that. We just listen and go on. Then he’s fine.”
And Andres is fine, too. Assistant Administrator and Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Imelda Hawkins testifies to that. “Andres has been nothing short of amazing since we were lucky enough to cross paths with him. I hired Andres last fall, and he hit the ground running,” she said.
Andres travels as many as three hours daily to share his heart with one of Home Instead’s out-of-town VA clients. Imelda said: “Andres’ reliability, commitment and loving heart have gained the trust of the client.” She added: “Another client for whom Andres provides care is a specialized client who is almost blind. Recently, the client’s wife called the office to let us know Andres is very professional, takes his job seriously and is very well-dressed.”
Imelda pointed out: “There are several other agencies Andres could have chosen, and I believe God paved his way to ours. We are fortunate to have him on our team.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (432) 689-4663 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
