Sheryl Changed Careers, Finds Fulfillment With Home Instead
Filipino native Sheryl Ferrer, a people person with an empathetic personality, began her work career as a “numbers cruncher.” She had gone to college in her homeland and then took an office position where she was an outstanding accounting assistant. After a while, Sheryl felt the job fulfillment slowly dissipating. To put it plainly, she was bored.
In her 30s, Sheryl started to look for another job. Sheryl, who had served as a family caregiver for a senior loved one before she went to college, knew she had to change careers so she could use her compassion and help others. “I found a caregiving job in Hong Kong and made my career change,” Sheryl recalled.
In Hong Kong, she took care of a grandmother and raised two children, including a baby, and also served as a private tutor. Sheryl said: “The children were like my own, very sweet. The family still keeps in contact. I love them. When I left Hong Kong, they cried and asked me to come back. It pierced my heart, but after nearly four years, it came time to make a change.”
What lay ahead was a move to America and a Care Professional position with Home Instead® of Clawson, Michigan. Sheryl explained: “I have a good high school friend who invited me to try our luck here in America. She ended up in Wisconsin with an in-home care company, and I was given the chance to work with Home Instead. I like my boss, Bert Copple. I’ve never had a boss like him. I give my warmest blessings to Bert. He is a blessing from heaven, an angel on Earth.”
Sheryl joined Home Instead, which serves southeast Oakland County, in March 2022, and she was honored as the office’s Care Pro of the Month in October 2023. Home Instead has been a great fit for Sheryl. “Senior care is a calling. The origins of the ‘why’ to choosing this career is quite simply that it comes from my heart. I have experienced a different kind of happiness from this job.”
Sheryl enjoys the uniqueness of each of her clients. “One of my clients said she did bungee jumping in Switzerland at the age of 76. When she told me, we laughed so hard. She said, ‘I did so many crazy things during my younger days.’ She once told me to enjoy the outdoors whenever I can because, ‘Someday you will stay inside the house when you reach a certain age.’ I love her because we talk about life in general and her good life specifically. Her stories inspire me to live in the moment happily and gratefully,” Sheryl said.
Sheryl has grown professionally as a result of her interaction with the Home Instead staff. “Home Instead gives you a lot of opportunities. The training is beneficial. I have learned many new things,” she said.
“They teach the basics and also specialized subjects such as Alzheimer’s care. That training has helped me because one of my clients has dementia. For dementia care, you need a lot of patience. Things can get out of control with respect to the behaviors, but you have to be steady and keep your cool. I look into the clients’ eyes and hold their hands in a loving, assuring way. You have to think fast sometimes. You must anticipate what might happen and think of what you can do to help them. The behavior can be unpredictable.”
Sheryl praised Home Instead’s flexibility. “I am so grateful they adjusted my hours. I look up to God and say thank you for the Home Instead staff and owners. I want to thank them for everything because everything has fallen into place for me and my family. I give my clients the same love that I would give to my mother,” she said.
Referring to her future, Sheryl said: “I think I will grow old here in America. This is a great part of the country. I like to watch the leaves turn colors in the fall and watch the snow in winter. I like the changing of the seasons. I love the blueberries, which we did not have in the Philippines. I say, ‘Thank you God.’ I appreciate everything I have. I embrace the seasons of my life.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (248) 203-2273 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
