Home Instead Care Professional of the Month Madeline Anderson admits she’s always been a sucker for love stories, and seeing the strong devotion between husband and wife clients sometimes has tugged at her heartstrings.
“I have witnessed love between two people so pure and strong that I have left client homes on the verge of tears because it made me so happy to know that love like that does exist. There are too many to mention, but the love stories I see sometimes during a shift are just an absolute blessing to watch,” Madeline said. “Seeing two people truly in love … just the thought of finding someone who makes you so happy that you can still be so closely connected to them after years and years is amazing to me. I have felt love like this for my child.”
What other job could evoke such strong emotions and relational bonding with clients? Madeline’s feeling of job fulfillment would not have been possible without the understanding and genuine interest of Recruiting and Retention Coordinator Maegan Coldewey eight months earlier at Home Instead® of Victoria. A conversation with Maegan ended Madeline’s frustrating job hunt. Maegan’s compassion and her Home Instead franchise’s flexibility won the day.
“I’m a mother to one amazing little girl and have been seeking a degree in pharmacology. I was searching for a job somewhat related to my career pursuit that could work with my hectic schedule. I needed flexibility wherever I worked,” Madeline explained. “At one point, I was sending mass applications to many different home-health or related organizations in hopes that one would want to hire me.”
Madeline added: “One day, after being rejected for job after job at a lot of the places, something different happened. I received a call from Maegan at Home Instead. The main thing I recognized is that Maegan spoke to me with mutual respect and as a real person. It wasn’t just a quick call to see how qualified I was. Maegan actually cared about my situation and knew I deserved a chance. Life happens, and it’s nice to know there are people out there – like Maegan – who can understand and are willing to help.”
On July 7, 2022, Madeline joined the award-winning Home Instead franchise owned by Pietro Jordao and Dillon Rice. While it was her first professional senior-care job, she had gained plenty of experience as a family caregiver. “For more than six years, I’ve taken care of elderly people I love, and I still take care of them. I’ve spent most of my marriage taking care of my husband’s mother and grandmother. When I met them, they already were in need of assistance with the usual daily activities,” Madeline said.
Her husband’s grandmother had raised her own children and her own grandchildren by herself. “She is an amazing woman who has done so much in her 79 years,” Madeline said. “She is a bit old-fashioned, and we don’t agree on a lot of topics. But I will always be there for her, especially now because she deserves it. She is in a wheelchair and has the tendency to feel down about life. It’s nice to be able to do things for her that might brighten her day. I will forever be indebted to her because at the time when I was in most need of help, she opened her home to me. She gave me shelter, food, clothes and, above all, a new family.”
Long before meeting her husband’s grandmother, Madeline served in a unique family caregiver role as a foster youth. She explained: “As a foster youth, I always enjoyed helping the other kids or people around me.” Madeline added: “I’ve been disconnected from my side of the family for a while for many reasons. The main one is that everyone to whom I’m related is in California or lives farther away. I’ve replaced that emptiness with love for my husband’s family.”
Madeline has developed friendships that allow her to feel as if she has been adopted by others. “I know we Care Pros can’t get too personal with our clients. But I will admit I have the unique mind-set when I take care of someone else’s grandmother, mother or family member. The mind-set is this: They have given so much and lived much longer than I have, so they deserve the utmost respect and care,” she said.
Madeline loves meeting new people and hearing new stories, although sometimes those stories are often repetitious. “It might be a side effect of not having my original family throughout most of my life, but I enjoy hearing and learning about other people’s lives and family. Or, at the very least, taking care of someone who is loved or in need of care and just needs some help,” she said.
Madeline pointed out that it’s rewarding to help a vulnerable adult, especially after he or she has lived a long life that usually has involved helping others. Now they are simply trying to be happy. “I truly hope one day when I am older and possibly in need of help, I will have someone who is willing to assist me,” she said.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (361) 433-0330 or apply online
