Home Instead® CAREGiver of the Month Nancy Julin remembers serving sometimes as a family caregiver for her grandmother. “Helping my grandma started me off on the path into the medical field,” recalled Nancy, who became a CNA and began her professional career at a nursing home.
Whether it is professional or family care, the challenges are as varied as the people themselves. To this point, Nancy’s toughest caregiving “assignment” was helping her late husband. “He suffered from heart issues, diabetes and high blood pressure. While I was serving as my husband’s family caregiver, I also was trying to work full time and take care of my three teenage sons,” Nancy explained. Her husband, James Allen Julin, was in and out of hospitals. Sadly, he passed away Dec. 5, 2019, at age 43.
There was no question Nancy knew how to take care of her husband. After working as a CNA for two years, Nancy became a correctional medication aide in the prison system for seven years. “I went through EMT training, and I have been a caregiver in home health for the past three years,” she noted.
On Jan. 28, 2021, Nancy joined Home Instead of Victoria, an award-winning franchise owned by Pietro Jordao and Dillon Rice. She found Home Instead while searching for a job on the Indeed.com website.
Recruiting and Retention Coordinator Maegan Coldewey was overjoyed after Nancy applied with the Home Instead franchise, a member of a network that’s the world’s leading provider of in-home care services. More than 1,200 independently owned and operated Home Instead franchises provide more than 80 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 13 other countries.
In “Jeopardy!” television game show parlance, Maegan hit “the daily double” in January when she hired Nancy and another employee who also has been honored as a CAREGiver of the Month. Maegan said, “Both ladies have been doing an amazing job since we hired them. Both Nancy and our other CAREGiver are equally effective in their care of clients who have a higher acuity or others who can be very challenging or live in demanding households. For Nancy, I want to thank her for always working so hard for her client. I know most days are a challenge, but I promise that Nancy’s efforts never go unnoticed or unappreciated. Keep up the great work, Nancy! We are so very proud of Nancy and so blessed to have her on our team.”
Just as she did for her late husband, grandmother and many others, Nancy provides companionship, safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands for Home Instead clients. Nancy and other CAREGivers offer personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, dementia support, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility assistance. By expertly doing so, CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Touching lives impacts Nancy’s soul, whether she’s providing physical help or offering emotional support in a companionship role.
“What I like the most about being a Home Instead CAREGiver is being there for my clients and helping them with their needs. I also am able to call the office when I have issues,” said Nancy, referring to the Home Instead staff’s around-the-clock CAREGiver support. “My favorite client story centers on a woman who I admire because she has given back so much to her community. There are a lot of details, but suffice it to say she’s made a big impact.”
As a CAREGiver, Nancy has a strong belief in Home Instead’s purpose and core values. Those core values are: “Honor God in all we do; Treat each other with dignity and respect; Encourage growth in ourselves and others; Build value in our service to others.”
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.
