The unforgettable image of her grandmother is indelibly etched in Jodi Krieg-Shover’s mind. Sometimes when Jodi is assisting her clients on behalf of Home Instead® of Winchester, warm memories of her grandmother flash through her mind.
That’s easy to understand, since Jodi’s grandmother was the only grandparent she knew. The impact of Jodi’s relationship with her grandmother shaped Jodi’s preference for professional senior care and her unquestioned dedication to helping the elderly.
“I was very close to my grandmother. I spent a lot a time at her house, and I believe my time spent with my grandmother played a large part in my career choice,” recalled Jodi, who has been a CNA for 26 years. She joined Home Instead in March 2021, and was honored as CAREGiver of the Month for October.
“I was touched by other personal situations. Although I wasn’t my parents’ family caregiver, I did have a little experience helping with their insulin and wound care. As a breast cancer survivor, I empathize with my clients and understand the level of care they should receive.”
Office staff members believe their award-winning Home Instead franchise – which serves the Northern Shenandoah Valley – caught lightning in a bottle when Jodi walked through their door last spring. Few job applicants have Jodi’s strong resume.
- She started as a personal care worker when she was 18 while she attended school to become a CNA at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wisconsin.
- Jodi’s first CNA job was in Verona, Wisconsin, at Four Winds Manor Skilled Nursing Facility from 1994 to 2005.
- She went to work for St. Mary’s Care Center in Madison Wisconsin, from 2005 to 2014.
- Jodi worked at Pleasant View Nursing Home from 2014 to 2020 in Monroe, Wisconsin.
After moving to West Virginia, Jodi spent a short time working at a nursing home before joining owner Keith Clay’s Home Instead office that has a sister franchise in Martinsburg, West Virginia. “I knew I had to find something that was more of a personalized setting, and that’s when I came across the ad for Home Instead,” Jodi explained.
Asked what she likes most about her job as a Home Instead CAREGiver, Jodi said: “The flexibility and the one-on-one interaction.” On one extraordinary day, Jodi’s special interaction with a client took them and the client’s dog to a slice of heaven 5½ miles outside of Martinsburg on Almshouse Road. They treasured their time together at the Poor House Farm Park. “My client kept saying how peaceful it was and how she was so glad I brought her there. She said she ‘should live there.’ I’ve also gone on other outings with her. We went to her sorority luncheon in Shepherdstown,” Jodi said.
Among the considerations for achieving CAREGiver of the Month status, an employee has shown he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty when circumstances clearly required it. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Jodi embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ Jodi is someone who is exceptional at her work with any client.
