COVID-19 has rocked the lives of millions of American workers. In May 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 20.5 million nonfarm jobs had been lost since the virus first appeared in America, raising the unemployment rate to 14.7 percent in April 2020. That was a level not seen since the 1930s. Shayla Semann, an accomplished senior-care worker with a compassionate heart, was one of many conscientious, reliable workers who found themselves without a job.
“At the beginning of the first COVID-19 quarantine mandate, I lost my job at the retirement community where I had been employed for 15 years,” Shayla explained.
Shayla preferred to see the stunning job loss as an opportunity and not a disaster.
“It was a blessing in disguise because it meant I had finally gotten out of my comfort zone and could begin taking on new challenges. I wanted to help the elderly in a one-on-one capacity, and one day I just happened to come across Home Instead®,” said Shayla, who joined owner Michael Lammers’ award-winning Home Instead® franchise of Boulder, Broomfield and northwest Adams Counties. The Home Instead office is in Louisville, Colorado.
Shayla added: “I have been a Home Instead Care Professional for just over a year.” On March 29, 2022, Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Rianne Matthews announced Shayla had been honored as the franchise’s April Care Professional of the Month. The retirement community’s loss was Home Instead’s gain – particularly for its clients and their family members.
Rianne said: “Shayla is warm and gentle with her clients, and her positive attitude shines through both to them and our Home Instead staff. We particularly appreciate her high levels of professionalism and willingness to collaborate. She is consistently strong in her regular work, and often goes above and beyond to make sure her clients are well cared for. It is a delight to have her represent us.”
Shayla embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” One way that Shayla builds trust and shares her heart is by allowing her clients to go at their own speed and encouraging them to do so. Ironically, following alongside the client or close behind is one way that Shayla also actually “takes the lead.”
“I’ve noticed in my lifetime there are those who have little patience for the elderly simply because they don’t move as quickly as the rest of us. One of the greatest compliments I have ever received is that I have ‘the patience of the Lord.’ I have lost count how many times a client has apologized to me simply for moving slowly. I try to reassure them by saying, ‘There's no rush; I actually prefer we take our time,’” Shayla said.
“If there’s one thing I want my clients to gain from our time together, it’s a sense of safety. It makes me feel much safer knowing both of my Home Instead clients have the support of their families, are very routine-oriented and just down right nice. The Golden Rule applies to everyone, and those in their Golden Years are no exception.”
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Shayla provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Shayla offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Shayla and her fellow Care Pros not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Shayla loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Colorado franchise, a member of a highly successful network founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Home Instead network is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide care throughout the United States and 13 other countries.
All Home Instead CAREGivers 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.
