America and Home Instead® of Winchester. You could hear the excitement in Freshta Safari’s otherwise soft voice when the two subjects were mentioned during a recent conversation.
“I love living in America. Women’s rights matter here, and I am grateful for that. Life is more relaxed here. Living here has allowed me to feel very good,” said Freshta, who left her homeland of Afghanistan in 2018 to move to the United States. She joined Home Instead on Nov. 25, 2022, one day after Thanksgiving Day, a uniquely American holiday. In October 2023, she was selected as the franchise’s Caregiver of the Month. Home Instead General Manager Allyson Starling said, “Freshta is amazing. It’s easy to see that she displays Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ ”
Freshta added: “I really like the job. It is amazing. Working with seniors is a big, big thing for me. I really want to get to know my clients and learn how to best take care of them and listen as they share their stories. I have learned a lot of things from Home Instead, which shares its knowledge with me.”
Home Instead’s training is a valuable source of knowledge, but Freshta learned a lot as a family caregiver for her mother in Afghanistan. “My mother underwent knee surgery in 2016. I did the entire spectrum of care for my mother, including meal preparation, medication reminders, transportation and errands, light housekeeping, companionship and help with personal care as well as ambulatory assistance. I learned a lot about taking care of people, but I also should point out I have learned a lot about taking care of seniors from Home Instead,” Freshta said.
In a somber tone, Freshta said, “Just as I made it to the United States, I really wanted to get my mother and other family here. My big brother and his children are there, too. We communicate, but it’s not easy sometimes. Usually, it’s by phone. The internet usually is too expensive for the average person in Afghanistan.” In fact, according to one news service, internet access in Afghanistan is limited, with reportedly only a quarter of men and about 6 percent of women able to access basic internet services.
Freshta’s Caregiver position is one of her two jobs, and it’s clear that she enjoys working for Home Instead. “At this time,” Freshta said, “I have a lot of fill-in duties. The office is very, very good. For the immediate future, I plan to stay with Home Instead. I really like Home Instead. I love working with my clients. I don’t want to leave them.”
Owner Keith Clay’s award-winning Home Instead franchise serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley from its Winchester office. Keith also owns an honored Home Instead franchise in Martinsburg, West Virginia, which is 25 miles northeast of Winchester. From Winchester, the Virginia franchise serves an area that includes Boyce, Maurertown, Millwood, Mount Jackson, New Market, Linden, Middletown, Quicksburg, Star Tannery, Stephens City, Stephenson, Strasburg, Toms Brook, White Post, Woodstock, Basye, Berryville, Clear Brook, Cross Junction, Edinburg, Front Royal, Bentonville, Bluemont, Fort Valley, Gore, Orkney Springs and Paris.
All Home Instead Caregivers are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please apply online. For further information about Home Instead services, visit our website.
