For Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Rebecca Ludington, every day with Mr. D., a beloved client, was an adventure. “It truly was,” said Rebecca, whose client had late-stage dementia but was a bubbly personality who was a such a creative soul. “I have loved each client with all my heart, but Mr. D. was so much fun.”
Rebecca recalled a few of their adventures:
- “We raced the halls ‘avoiding poison gas,’ and he’d tell me where it was safe to take a break and let the poison pass.”
- “We ‘escaped floods,’ and turned his bed into a ‘boat’ so we could ‘safely float away.’ ”
- During one shift, Mr. D. dressed up as the fictional Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman who is the primary character in the 2009 animated movie “Up.”
- “During my last shift with Mr. D., we spent the time planning how to ‘break out’ of the facility. There was never a dull moment with him, and shifts just flew by.”
Sadly, the 94-year-old client passed away in January. He has been forever woven into the colorful mosaic of memories Rebecca has accumulated during the past year and a half as an award-winning Care Pro at owner Michael Lammers’ Home Instead franchise of Boulder, Broomfield and northwest Adams Counties based in Louisville, Colorado.
“My favorite part of this job is becoming family to all of my clients. I’ve met their families, gone to family functions, and most important, I know my clients are getting the dignity and respect they deserve after living such full lives,” Rebecca said.
While announcing Rebecca’s honor, Home Instead Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Brenda Munro said: “Rebecca is amazing. She had no professional senior caregiving experience when she found us. She was a restaurant manager but was looking for a fulfilling job. We are glad to have her. Clients go out of their way to say how amazing she is. One client told me he would be lost without her help and support. Rebecca embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ ”
Rebecca began her work career in the corporate world. “That changed once my family grew. I decided to be a stay-at-home mother instead of paying other people an exorbitant amount of money to raise my children. After they all started school, I got a job as a waitress to fill my schedule and combat the silence. That part-time job turned into a full-time job, and it was easy money, so I stuck with it,” Rebecca explained.
Then tragedy struck. “My mother crossed over very unexpectedly two years ago at a young age, and I needed to fill the void in my soul that was created by her loss. I’ve always admired and revered elders, and she was the last one left from among my husband and me. As a result, I started looking for jobs to fulfill that longing, and I found Home Instead,” Rebecca added.
For Rebecca, touching lives impacts her soul, whether she is providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role.
Rebecca loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Front Range 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.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (720) 890-0184 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
