Wendy Follows Her Mother’s Compassionate Example
Wendy Lewis-James inherited her mother’s compassionate heart, but her mother also modeled kindness and empathy for Wendy and her siblings. When Wendy was young, she helped care for neighborhood kids because her mother ran a daycare in their Jamaican city. Parents brought their children and also dropped off food for the day. “My mother would prepare the food and feed them. No matter whether the adults brought food or not, not one child would go hungry. My mother made sure of it,” Wendy recalled.
Wendy’s mother passed away in 2017 in Jamaica, but her mother’s legacy lives on in Michigan’s southeast Oakland County, where Wendy has been honored as the Home Instead® CAREGiver of the Month at the Clawson office. Bert and Stephanie Copple own the award-winning Home Instead franchise. General Manager Anne Monaghan announced Wendy’s honor.
Referring to her mother’s final days, Wendy said: “I could not be there for her care, but my brothers and sisters were. And, because of COVID-19, it’s actually been a long time since I’ve been home to Jamaica. I want to go back for Christmas,” said Wendy, who moved from Jamaica to the United States 15 years ago. She had worked for a Jamaican senior-care agency for about four years and joined the Copples’ Home Instead franchise in 2016.
After coming to America, Wendy had jobs in other fields. Then she found Home Instead online. “They trained me, and then they sent me out on the job. With Home Instead, everything is good. They provide ongoing training where we come into the office,” explained Wendy, who pointed out Home Instead is detailed in its thoughtful and skilled approach to senior care.
For instance, to build on their dementia-care skills knowledge and experience, CAREGivers at Clawson are required to take part in the Home Instead network’s one-of-a-kind training protocol. Home Instead’s Person-Centered Care Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for incorporating the evidence-based dementia-care practice recommendations in these topic areas: Alzheimer’s and dementia, person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication.
“The office staff communicates well about each client and provides background so a CAREGiver will know what to expect,” Wendy said. “I read every email about the client before I go to the client for the first time. For every client shift, I arrive 15 minutes early to find out what’s going on with the client. If it’s my first time with a client, I go even earlier and have the CAREGiver show me the specific care a client needs. We also keep journals. It is one of the best-practices-of-care components.”
Wendy has regular overnight shifts with two clients, which is not unusual for her. “I work mostly overnight shifts,” Wendy said. A 90-year-old client lives with her daughter, who is still in the workforce. “Every morning when the daughter gets up,” Wendy said, “she asks how her mother did through the night. I’ve actually assisted her mother during two separate periods of time. The client remembered two months ago when I returned to assist her. She said, ‘I love the fact that you come quickly when I want to go to the bathroom. I can count 1-2-3, and you are there.’ ” It was no surprise when the client’s daughter called Home Instead about manpower, Wendy was one of the CAREGivers they requested.
Wendy knows the client’s routine well: “After every bathroom trip, I get her a drink of water. She prefers to have a little ice in the water and will say something if the water isn’t cold enough. There is no worry about keeping her hydrated,” Wendy explained.
Wendy’s other client is in her 70s and recently had back surgery. “She is bouncing back from the procedure. She’s a nice lady who knows what she wants and tells you, so there is no guessing. I like that about a client. I’ve had her for about two months. I like the fact that she is doing much better,” Wendy said.
That is one of the fulfilling aspects to Wendy’s work as a Home Instead CAREGiver. Described by others as “a very kind person,” Wendy said: “I love my job and feel good about how things are going. I love to help people. If someone needs help, that’s why I am there. I want to be with Home Instead years from now.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (248) 203-2273 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
