Professional caregiving has been in Francisca Jimenez’s blood ever since she saw her sister enter the fulfilling career where she could use her passion for compassion.
“My sister started working as a CNA first. She mentioned how rewarding her job was, especially because she helped people every day. And that’s what got me interested in being in caregiving. I started working at long-term care facilities and memory care for many, many years before I decided to do home care,” said Francisca, who became a CAREGiver a year and a half ago for owner Michael Lammers’ award-winning Home Instead® franchise of Boulder, Broomfield and northwest Adams Counties that is based in Louisville, Colorado.
“I have been in professional caregiving for 20 years, and I love it,” Francisca said.
Francisca was taking a break from work for a while to stay home with her four kids and three beautiful grandkids when she said she realized she couldn’t be a fulltime stay-at-home mom. That’s when Francisca grabbed an opportunity to become a Home Instead CAREGiver.
“I really don’t remember how I found Home Instead, but I read the online reviews about Home Instead, and they had nothing bad to say about the company. So, I applied online and started July 10, 2019,” explained Francisca, whose skilled and empathetic work gained attention from clients, their families and the Home Instead office staff. In February 2021, Francisca received the franchise’s highest monthly honor for CAREGiver excellence.
Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Rianne Matthews said: “It was my pleasure to announce our February CAREGiver of the Month is Francisca Jimenez. Francisca has consistently done excellent work with her clients. We have a client whose care has been particularly challenging, and we know Home Instead could not continue caring for him without the assistance that Francisca provides. Care Coordinator Kelli Giltner has related the wonderful feedback we get from Francisca’s clients.”
Kelli said: “Francisca has taken on a challenging caregiving situation and handled it so well. Francisca is open to helping in this situation no matter what happens, including new health issues, transportation, family issues and the many appointments. The client loves Francisca’s care so much that when he goes into the hospital and his medical team wants him to go to rehab, he will not go because he does not want to lose Francisca as his CAREGiver.”
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Francisca provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Francisca and other CAREGivers offer personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, dementia support, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
For Francisca, touching lives impacts her soul, whether she’s providing physical help or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role.
“Working for Home Instead has been a wonderful experience, especially because of the support they gave me when my son passed away a year ago. That emphatically showed me the respect they give all their employees. I couldn’t ask for more. What a wonderful place Home Instead is. I am glad to be working for them,” Francisca said.
“All of my clients are special in their own way, and just knowing I can help them with their daily routine and whatever they have on their agenda that day makes me grateful for being their support for the day.”
The Flatirons-area franchise is a member of a highly successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Paul and Lori Hogan. The Home Instead network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 80 million hours of care annually throughout the U.S. and 13 other countries.
Francisca is among more than 90,000 CAREGivers, and she has helped add to those numbers because of her strong belief in Home Instead’s purpose. It isn’t hard to see Francisca lives the Home Instead® principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (720) 890-0184 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.