CAREGiver of the Month Meosha Dumas and her Home Instead® clients savor the times when they can share a chuckle. Meosha found a new way to laugh with her clients after she joined Home Instead of Victoria. Meosha had never seen anyone dress up for breakfast in their own kitchen. At the prompting of a husband client, that’s what happened one morning when he tried to cheer up his wife.
“The husband still shows his wife affection, and I admire that. He asked his wife about a gown he thought she might want to wear. She told him, ‘I don’t want to wear that all day.’ When he asked why, she said, ‘Because it’s a night gown, not a dress.’ With his tongue in cheek, he said, ‘Do you plan on going somewhere with your boyfriend?’ The wife said, ‘Yes.’ He grabbed a dress, showed it to her and said, ‘Here I am, where do you want to go? How about to the kitchen for breakfast?’ She said, ‘Yes!’ and smiled. He laughed, and I smiled and got her into the dress. She’d been moving slower than most days, and he had managed to make her smile. When the day starts that way, it will indeed be a good one. The point is, I’m convinced this is where I belong, helping people such as these,” Meosha said.
“I love their facial expressions when they are pleased or satisfied. I’ve come to love being a CAREGiver way more than a caregiving job I held in Louisiana because I can become more familiar with someone, more than just knowing what they like and dislike. I love being able to bless them by helping with challenges. Something that’s easy for me might be difficult for them. I focus my undivided attention on big or small essentials of their lives. I want to see my clients smile, enjoy each day and feel worry-free because they know they have someone to look after them and help them. I’m grateful I’m able to fulfill a need.”
Meosha applied at the award-winning Home Instead franchise owned by Pietro Jordao and Dillon Rice in November 2020 after her “dream job” failed to materialize. Meosha had moved from Louisiana to Victoria in April 2020 for that job. “I had made a lot of sacrifices to move here only to learn I wasn’t able to get the job. My work experience had mainly been five years in sales, five years in retail and three years as a direct support professional (DSP) caregiver. I’ve always been a little shy, but I also really enjoy meeting new people and assisting them by using my skills. Since I had experience as a DSP, I thought, ‘Why not give it a try out here?’ ” said Meosha, who found Home Instead during an online search.
“I was greeted by a sweet lady, Recruiting and Retention Coordinator Maegan Coldewey, when I walked in. I also met Dillion and Staffing Coordinator Emily Sanchez. Everyone at the office was very welcoming, honest, super easy to talk to and understanding. After training and orientation, Emily found a couple of clients and asked if I was comfortable and ready. I said, ‘Yes!” I was so pleased with how caring Emily was and how knowledgeable she was about the clients she gave me, which made me feel more confident in starting my first day. I had an amazing, experienced CAREGiver who eased me into the situation by showing me the ropes. I knew I was going to catch on quickly to my client’s daily routine.”
Meosha thinks of her family members when she assists Home Instead clients. “Even though my parents could do for themselves, I’ve always loved to cook for them, wash clothes and do a little extra cleaning around the house. It’s definitely one less thing they have to worry about, so all they really had left to do was relax and enjoy dinner. I feel as though it’s so very easy to do those things for someone else’s senior loved ones. I care about how others feel,” she said.
Meosha added, “Most of all, I like the fact my clients have peace of mind, knowing they will have the same consistent, reliable CAREGivers. We are a team, and when everyone does her part, it shows. We walk the talk. While making every day and night a pleasant one for our clients, we CAREGivers might have complementary roles as we handle our different duties, but it is still a team effort as we make sure our clients are happy and comfortable.”
It’s easy to see that Meosha loves being a part of the CAREGiver team for the Victoria franchise, a member of a highly successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Paul and Lori Hogan. The Home Instead 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.
Meosha is among more than 90,000 CAREGivers, and she has helped add to those numbers because of her strong belief in Home Instead’s purpose. It isn’t hard to see Meosha lives the Home Instead® principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (361) 433-0330 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
Rewarding Care Careers in Victoria, TX
