Tia Follows Her Mom’s Advice, Enjoys Care Pro Position
Tia Barnaby’s mother had excellent advice for her daughter: “Why don’t you check out Home Instead® if you’re looking for another job?” Tia’s mother “had the lowdown” for her daughter because her mother already was working for Home Instead’s award-winning downtown Philadelphia franchise whose co-owners are Steve Levin and Charlea Lyn Grieco.
Tia joined Home Instead in November 2023. Less than a year later – in August 2024 – Tia was honored as the franchise’s Care Professional of the Month. Tia said: “I was working with another in-home agency when my mother told me about Home Instead. She described how kind and welcoming the Home Instead staff is. My mother briefed me on how easy the staff is to talk to, the company’s employee benefits and its scheduling flexibility, which I find to my liking.”
Tia had started professional caregiving in 2020 when she had just moved to the States and was looking for a job. “I was looking for something with which I was good and comfortable,” Tia said. “It just so happened that it was around the end of the year when I moved here. My aunt called and reminded me about the annual trips we used to make to a senior home to help take care of the seniors. I had mentioned to my mom that it would be good if I could continue to do that, and she took me to sign up with her agency, Home Instead.”
Besides going to the senior homes in her homeland to volunteer, Tia had worked at a bindery – a place where books are bound – in a rehabilitation center that was manned by people who had difficulty walking or who had other ailments. “I would lend a hand whenever I could, which further developed my love for caregiving,” Tia explained. “When I was in school, I was also into clubs, such as the Brownies and girl guilds. We would go on trips to homes and help the elderly with personal care, yard work or anything else we could do.”
While Tia humbly said she had “limited experience” as a family caregiver, it was nonetheless impactful. “The only family member for whom I could remember helping was my blind great-grandfather. I was much younger, too young to do much. The only thing I used to do was give him water when he needed it, turn on the radio and try not to upset him. I would assist my parents as we watched out for him. When my parents went to the store to buy food and supplies for my great-grandfather, I made sure his commode and water were near him.”
While working with Home Instead clients, Tia provides companionship, safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Tia offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Tia not only assists her clients, but helps their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Tia said: “The thing I like most about my job is that I get to take care of my clients and make sure that they are comfortable.”
Among the considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown she has gone above and beyond the call of duty, Home Instead Human Resources Generalist Janelle Muhlanga said. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Janelle said Tia 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, Janelle said.
Tia has had many memorable days with her clients. “My favorite story was when I went with a client to the doctor. We were on our way back, and she had another appointment and did not want to be late. So, when our driver was stuck in traffic she started telling him where to go,” Tia recalled. “At first, the driver did not want to go her way, but she insisted. He ended up following her route, which led him to get there faster.”
Tia added: “After the driver dropped us off, he thanked her and told her that if she got to ride with him again, he would use her as his navigator to get where he was going faster. After he left, she told me about her time in the city. Her stories interested me. I just found it refreshing.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (215) 925-4610 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
