‘R-O-S-E’ Felt the Client’s Appreciation
The Home Instead® client didn’t address Care Professional of the Month Rose Rapisura by saying her first name in one breath. Instead, he always spelled her name while speaking to her: “R-O-S-E.” She said: “I once asked him why, and he quipped, ‘It is so nice to say those letters. It’s just like my favorite food I like to eat over and over again.’ ” Rose recalled laughing and saying, “OK, if that makes you happy, I am more than happy to hear you speak that way.’ He laughed.”
Rose also remembered one morning with the client when she was assisting with personal care. He said he wanted to talk to Rose’s father and mother. Rose said: “I asked him, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘I just want to thank them for bringing you into this world because my wife and I were blessed to get to know you at this time of our lives, the times when we needed you most.’ I was surprised and felt so overwhelmed.”
The man and his wife were Rose’s first regular clients after Rose joined owner Bert Copple’s award-winning Home Instead franchise in Clawson in April 2019. The couple was always together for everything they did, including meals, relaxing together in the sunroom and other daily routines. Sadly and suddenly, the husband client passed away in the amidst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I felt so bad, and whenever I began a shift, I really felt someone was missing throughout the house. After the husband’s passing, there understandably were a lot of changes in his wife’s life. Her anxiety worsened, and she often became agitated, but her nurse and we Care Pros came together to help make her feel better,” Rose said.
“The client is kind and has a golden heart. You can sense her true colors whenever she is in a good state of mind. One morning, we were in the kitchen. I was busy preparing for her breakfast and all of a sudden, she said, ‘I don’t remember your name, but I envision your face whenever I see my kitchen sparkling. I know you did it.’ I just laughed.”
Referring to her client and the memorable and fulfilling moments with her, Rose added: “The best feeling I receive is when she always says after I have completed all my tasks, ‘This is the best feeling of my day, to be cleaned up and dressed well.’ She always says that after I give her a shower.”
Of course, senior care often can involve challenges, situations in which Rose has successfully dealt since she joined the profession more than 15 years ago. Rose explained: “People often ask me about the difficult moments. I always answer, ‘I have a lot of tolerance with every challenge. I also have a positive attitude and a lot more patience than most others do.’ ”
A Home Instead staff member said: “Rose works primarily with one client for a lot of hours. The son and daughter both called the office to say what an outstanding Care Pro she is.”
When Rose joined Home Instead three years and nine months ago, her basic goals were – and always have been – these things: “Being reliable, including arriving for work on time and fulfilling all of my duties in a timely manner.” Consistency and compassion have been Rose’s hallmarks. As a Care Pro of the Month, Rose embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” She is someone who is exceptional at her work with any client, and that always has been the case with Rose, whether it has been her time with Home Instead or as an overseas private-duty caregiver.
“In 2014 in Israel, my sister encouraged me to apply as a professional caregiver in the United States. We did everything online, but we never expected anything. Luckily, we were chosen by Home Instead owner Bert Copple,” Rose recalled.
“I worked for almost 11 years as a caregiver in Israel, 1½ years with my first client, who passed away; eight months with my second client, who moved to a nursing home; seven years with my third client, who passed away; and eight months with my last client. Then I got my U.S. Visa and exited Israel.”
Rose also has served as a family caregiver. “At my young age, I had a chance to take care of my maternal grandparents. I helped them with housekeeping, bathing, dressing, medication reminders and meal preparation. I made sure they were safe and had comfortable place to live,” she said.
Rose loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Michigan franchise, a member of a network comprised of Home Instead, Inc. and its parent company, Honor. With the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform, Honor and Home Instead are revolutionizing care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
“I am grateful for all of those compliments from my clients and their families. By hearing those words, I can tell you that my job as a Care Pro is a huge personal accomplishment, and I am proud of myself, the fact that I do well in my job. To top it all, I am gratified to have been chosen as the Care Professional of the Month by my company,” Rose said.
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.
