Care Pro Shout Out!!!
Dear Home Instead,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and learn about my needs. I wasn’t sure what to expect and my house sure wasn’t “company ready;” however, you looked past the chaos and concentrated on my care. The way you explained the process, matching Care Professional to my personality and likes, and paying special attention to my medical needs gave me peace of mind. I appreciate the time you are taking to find the right match; we are off to a great start!
This is unfamiliar territory for me, I haven’t always been tethered to an oxygen tank with low energy. I have too much time on my hands and may too much time to think. When asked what my expectations were for a care professional, I produced a brief list:
Please be on time: When you have nothing better to do than listen to your hair grow, you look forward to visitors and watch the clock. Being one-minute late feels like an eternity to me. I start to wonder if the person is coming, did something happen to them, and I get anxious. That impacts my oxygen levels, my blood pressure, and anxiety. I know it should not, but it does!
Commitment: I know this is a job for someone; however, I want them to enjoy spending time with me. It’s odd to pay someone to care for you. It is hard to watch a person do the tasks I miss doing for myself. A smile would be helpful, you don’t have to have a frozen-grin face, but let your face and eyes show that you are glad to see me!
Interest: I have lived a great life, I’ve raised amazing kids (well, I did well…what they do now is no reflection on me!) and have six wonderful grandchildren who I adore. I have life experiences, I did well in the business world, enjoyed life to the fullest. Look me in the eye, ask my opinion and show an interest in my response. Oh, and speak up…my hearing is going!
Attitude: Ask me how I like things done. I’m fussy about cleaning and have a certain way of doing things. I like certain scents in my cleaning products. I know I should just appreciate that my house is clean, but you can’t change 60 years of habit. If my house doesn’t have the scent of pine-sol, it isn’t clean!
Likes/Dislikes: Mushrooms for example. They should not enter my home; in fact, they shouldn’t exist. Everybody knows they give you warts. Crispy bacon on the other hand, you have to have that. It is a staple. I question your ability to make good decisions if you don’t like crispy bacon. We probably can’t be friends. I have a sense of humor and enjoy a good banter.
Point of View: We don’t have to agree, but I would like my care professional to understand that I may be tethered to O2 now, but this isn’t the real me. I still have hopes and dreams, they are just limited to my imagination. Or are they? I’m open to ideas!
Time: Ask me what I like to do, and I’d love ideas on how I can fill my day. I would love suggestions on activities to keep me busy. I like to read and talk about my book(s). I can only watch so much TV!
Snapshot: This is not how I imagined my life to be. I had a lovely home on the river, never sat in one spot for very long, and now I am in this small space trying to make it feel like home. Nothing is where I like it, there are boxes that I have not had a chance to unpack. Let’s not talk about the storage units I have. So many memories to sort through. I need someone patient with my process. It sure can’t be a family member!
Boundaries: I like people and would love to get to know you. I’m curious and that may come off as nosey (but I’m not). You will need to set your boundaries with me because I will want to know everything about you!
Phone: See if I need help with my stupid phone!
Current Events: Don’t expect me to know about what is going on today – I know more about the past. In fact, I was purchasing furniture and the salesperson said, “This has a lifetime warranty” and I looked at him and said, “Look at me, do you think I’m really interested in buying a lifetime warranty, this is going outlast me!” Know your audience!
Thank you again for all you are doing for me and my family,
Connie Heinrich