Long ago, Corlissa Edwards’ mother proclaimed: “Corlissa has a heart as big as Texas.” Fast-forward to last fall. Ever since Oct. 20, 2022, Corlissa’s clients at the Home Instead® of Victoria have learned the mother’s proclamation was right on the money. Home Instead Recruiting and Retention Coordinator Maegan Coldewey affirmed those words by announcing Corlissa had been honored as the award-winning franchise’s Care Professional of the Month.
“I’ve been doing this kind of work my entire life. My first clients were my grandparents and one of my aunts. I began helping my grandparents when I was fresh out of high school. It was only fitting because I am my ‘grandparents’ baby.’ They were like parents,” Corlissa recalled.
“Grandma always thought I had a knack for helping others, so nursing or caregiving would be a natural career. My Aunt Geraldine, mother and sister Tameka continue to encourage me to this day. I would do all sorts of things for my grandparents. I would drive them to medical appointments and on errands. Grandma always drove for them before things got harder for her,” said Corlissa, whose grandfather fought cancer and died 23 years ago. Her grandma also put up a courageous battle with COVID-19 before she passed away three years ago.
Before arriving at the Home Instead franchise owned by Dillon Rice and Pietro Jordao, Corlissa had served at hospitals and nursing homes as a CNA for years. “I like one-on-one care better,” Corlissa said. “I found Home Instead through Indeed.com. I put my resume out, and Home Instead and a couple of other agencies contacted me. Home Instead won out for many reasons. I read the reviews and was impressed,” Corlissa said.
When Corlissa meets her clients for the first time, she makes an assurance: “During my first day with a client I let them know my goal is to make them comfortable in their home. I want them to trust me.” Corlissa’s two regular clients have implicitly put their faith in her. Both ladies have vowed “not to let her go,” meaning they want to permanently remain on Corlissa’s schedule. Ms. P. will not accept another Care Pro if Corlissa is forced to take a day off. She is hospitalized now, and her son has continued to schedule Corlissa to be with her in the hospital.
“She was asleep in the hospital for my entire shift one day, and she told her son that she never saw me. He said, ‘Mom, Corlissa was sitting by you the entire time.’ Now she wants me to wake her up when I am there so she can talk to me. Her son told me, ‘It makes her day to see you.’ Companionship is an important element of care. I enjoy my clients as much as they enjoy me,” Corlissa said. “I built a strong rapport with her son. Before she went into the hospital, I was updating him on her medical appointments and doing the assessments for him. He is such a good son. We talk more and more. I tell him, ‘That’s my lady, Mrs. P.’ ”
When Corlissa arrives at her other regular client’s home, Ms. F. cheerfully greets her with, “There is my mija,” which means “daughter.” Describing her loving client, Corlissa said: “She was into arts and crafts and was a decorator. She did her own decorations for Christmas. She used to paint, but now she uses crayons because of her dementia. She is a delight.”
Corlissa also describes her Home Instead office staff as “delightful, really great.” She added, “It is like belonging to a family. I love all three staff. Rebecca, Maegan and Tracy. The owners, Dillon and Pietro, are down-to-earth awesome. My Home Instead office staff gives its employees recognition. It’s nice to get the attention. I told Maegan, ‘I have the best job ever.’ ”
At our award-winning Home Instead franchise, owned by Pietro Jordao and Dillon Rice, Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (361) 433-0330 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
