Client’s Concern Touches Tamra’s Heart
The Home Instead® client’s sharp eye caught it: She had spotted the redness on Tamra Barron’s arm. So, for a few minutes, the client and CAREGiver switched roles because the caring client insisted.
Tamra set the scene with the client whom she has assisted for the past three years: “She is a very smart, witty and caring retired university librarian. On an occasion when I was helping her get ready for the day, the client motioned for me to sit down. She doesn’t speak well in the mornings because of a medical challenge. She carefully and thoughtfully got her First Aid Kit and bandaged my arm, which I had burned on the previous day while taking a turkey out of the oven.”
Tamra added emphatically: “She was taking care of me! It warms my heart, that, after three years, I have an endearing friend who looks after me just as I do for her. She and I watch football together, and she gives hugs often. She is like family, and I look forward to seeing her three days a week.”
Tamra, who joined Home Instead of Lubbock in November 2018, is part of family that includes clients, fellow CAREGivers and staff. “Home Instead is not like a job. It is like another family. I look forward to seeing my clients. When I have concerns about my clients, Home Instead provides the backup and training I need to better take care of my seniors. It is pleasure to work there, and everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to help me help our precious seniors,” Tamra said.
While announcing Tamra had been honored as CAREGiver of the Month, Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Juanita Camacho said: “Tamra is another unsung Home Instead hero who is truly a blessing to our company and our clients. She cares for our clients with genuine kindness and warmth, and she always has a kind word for all those she meets. With her good intuition, Tamra can identify our clients’ needs and meet them. She communicates well with our clients and their families, co-workers and the office. Through the years, Tamra has cared for friends and neighbors in the community.”
When Tamra went to work for Home Instead, she had just returned from living on the East Coast. Her son had been in a car accident, and Tamra came back to Texas to help him recover from a broken femur, two surgeries and intense physical therapy. Additionally, Tamra had retired after her husband passed away, and her brother had passed away the year before.
“Home Instead seemed like a good fit for me, and I instantly was comfortable caring for seniors. I had always been caring for one of my family members, even when I worked at large corporations full time. My grandmother and grandfather were both in my care during the last years of their lives. They were in independent living and then in assisted living when I was going to college. They were my maternal grandparents; my mother passed when I was very young.” Tamra said.
Receiving an award from the award-winning franchise owned by Tracy and Terry Baugh was a nice surprise for Tamra. “I am humbled that Home Instead considered me. I enjoy what I do so much, and if I make one of our seniors smile on a given day, it warms my heart. I have never had a job that is as rewarding and important as to make a difference in a senior’s life. They are very precious and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Tamra said.
Tamra is a member of a highly rated organization. For the third time, Home Instead was honored with a Caring Super Star for its home-care service excellence in consumer ratings and Caring.com reviews. Home Instead is the only Lubbock County home-care agency to be honored as a 2021 Caring Super Star. “Caregiving is simply doing things to enhance the quality of life for older adults and help keep them independent for as long as possible,” Tracy said. “We like to say it takes a special person to become a Home Instead CAREGiver, not a special degree. It can be a rewarding career for individuals from every walk of life and age group.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (806) 281-4663 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
