“When a door closes, another will open.” In terms of employment, that optimistic phrase probably has been spoken thousands of times since February 2020, when the COVID-19 virus swept around the world. Debra Kuykendall-Strother saw her job obliterated by the pandemic, so she turned to an old friend and Home Instead® of Winchester.
“I was a state-licensed business owner who worked as an employment specialist through the West Virginia division of rehabilitation services for students with learning disabilities. Because of COVID-19, I was not able to provide services on a full-time basis,” Debra explained. “In a six-county region, I provided community-based assessment skills, such as teaching interviewing skills, resume preparation and on-the-job training using a job coach.”
Before setting up that job, Debra had worked as a caregiver for other companies, provided services for a client in Debra’s own home and has done a variety of other things. “I started my work career in group homes, which are assisted living facilities for people with mental disabilities. Eventually I worked as a day program teacher for those with disabilities,” she said.
As for Debra’s past experiences of caring for family members, she helped with a 28-year-old younger brother and a 45-year-old cousin. Cancer claimed both lives. “My brother had a brain tumor, and it was a real struggle to care for him because we were so close. We tried to do a lot of things together because we knew our time was short. I also assisted my cousin and took her to treatments. Furthermore, I have been involved with helping other family members by assisting with challenges such as dementia and strokes,” Debra said.
As her bottom line, Debra pointed out: “I have always wanted to continue making a difference in people’s lives.” But midway through 2020, Debra simply did not have a job.
Enter Carol Davis, who has served as an on-staff registered nurse and instructor at Home Instead of Winchester since January 2011. Carol and Debra are good friends. “I talked with Carol about coming to work for Home Instead because she had expressed the need for CAREGivers,” Debra said. During the 10 months she has worked for Home Instead, Debra’s work has been exemplary. On Aug. 31, Allyson Starling, a co-manager for the Winchester and Martinsburg franchises who works in the offices’ human relations departments and as a recruitment and retention specialist, announced Debra had been honored as the September CAREGiver of the Month at Winchester.
“What I like the most about working at Home Instead is meeting so many delightful people with different personalities and lifestyles. I really enjoy working with female clients, assisting them with personal care. I love to help them get dressed for the day or a special occasion. I help them hot-roll their hair and apply makeup and put on jewelry. I also enjoy outings with them, especially lunch,” Debra said.
“I feel caring for my clients also should be done outside of their homes to help make life enjoyable for them and provide them with variety to break up the monotony. Laughter is an important part of spending time together. Some clients can be difficult. I try my best to engage clients in positive conversation that lifts them up.”
Debra added: “One client, who is originally from California, had a very exciting career in which she worked with children as a social worker. A world traveler, she has written a book about her many adventures. I also have some other clients who live in historical homes.”
In addition to serving her delightful clients, there are other benefits to working with owner Keith Clay’s award-winning Home Instead franchise that serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
“It is such a joy to carry a good, consistent weekly workload. I like to try filling open shifts with clients who require special needs. I have established a very good relationship with the schedulers while trying to understand their stress of finding enough coverage to help all clients. To repeat, it is a joy to be working with Home Instead clients,” Debra said.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (540) 722-8750 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
