Keena Learned About Caregiving at an Early Age
Twice-honored Care Professional Keena Hicks’ journey to a fulfilling 15½-year career with Home Instead® of Philadelphia took a number of unforgettable twists and turns that began during a tumultuous childhood. There’s no question that Keena was forced to grow up at a much faster pace than any teenager should endure. In terms of family caregiving, Keena experienced her first challenges as her severely asthmatic mother taught her how to take care of her younger siblings, boy and girl twins who are eight years younger than Keena.
“I was like a grown-up little lady – the operative word being ‘little’ – because I think my mother somehow felt I had to know how to do all the caregiving and household things, such as making sure the monthly phone bill was paid,” Keena recalled.
Then the first tragedy happened: Her mother suffered a severe asthmatic attack, lapsed into a coma and died seven months later. Keena was 16 years old, and the twins were 8. Two years later, their father died. “It was difficult,” Keena said. But there was help: “We had other family, and I grew up on a close-knit block where people looked out for each other. Still, I was forced to mature fast. One of the big things was that I made sure my siblings graduated from high school.”
Keena added: “An aunt came and lived with us, but then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so we ended up helping her for a while. However, she moved out because of the need for more extensive care. Instead of becoming jaded, I believe I became even more compassionate.”
For a change of scenery, Keena moved to California for two years and returned to the Philadelphia area in time to learn that a long-time friend had become ill with cancer. “She was a good friend who had done a lot for our family. I took care of her for four years before she passed away. That is when I realized I liked caregiving,” Keena said.
After being laid off from an office job, Keena applied at Home Instead in May 2008. That was a time before the online hiring processes had evolved. “I actually found Home Instead in the phone book, and I submitted a paper application. I had no previous professional caregiving experience,” she said. But Keena already had so many family caregiving experiences. While being naturally empathetic and compassionate, Keena had built up a personal reservoir of patience and optimism. Her Care Pro position was perfect.
Keena thrived immediately. While employees came and went, Keena’s staying power and loyalty put her in an elite group of about five employees who have been with owner Steve Levin’s award-winning franchise for nearly 16 years. Steve celebrated his 20th year of franchise ownership in November 2023. The January 2024 Care Pro of the Month award wasn’t Keena’s first honor. Twelve years ago, Keena was selected as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Year.
How does Keena describe her long Home Instead career? “To me, it is not a job. I love what I do. I have the same drive I had when I joined Steve and the company. This job opened my world to many different kinds of people who I wouldn’t have otherwise met. To do the job well, you just need to be yourself. Some people are not cut out to be caregivers. You have to look inward.”
Keena said she practices the Golden Rule. “You take care of the clients just as you would want someone else to take care of you. You love them just as if they were your own. For instance, I adopted my second son when he was 3 years old, but I had begun taking care of him when he was 2 weeks old. Now he’s 15. It always has felt as if he was mine from the very start. That adoption process is not unlike what goes on with the bonding process with my clients.”
Keena added: “You have to get to know the clients, the likes and dislikes. You have to know how to talk to them. They have to know you’ve come to help them with your total energy. They need to know they are not a burden. I sometimes need to serve as a therapist. I wear many different hats. There is no training for everything you will face. Sometimes it comes down to trusting your good judgment.”
Keena has gotten close enough to the clients and their families that some families have involved her in medical decisions. Keena has accompanied clients to medical appointments and stayed with them during hospitalizations. “For one client,” Keena explained, “I made all of the decisions for years. She had no children but had a brother who lived out of state. I was in contact with him and kept him informed. He trusted me to do what I thought needed to be done.”
“I have had some clients forever. I’ve had a client who passed away and then I moved on to take care of his spouse. One client passed away the day before Thanksgiving. I was there with her husband and daughter when she died. With the death of a client, I take time to mourn.”
When asked what she ponders when she thinks about her future, Keena shared: “In four more years, it will be my 20th anniversary with the company. But I want to keep going. I definitely won’t leave the one client with whom I’ve been for a long time.”
Referring to her Home Instead owner, Keena said: “I want to give Steve eight more years. My job loyalty is a testament to how Steve treats me. I have no thoughts of quitting. As I have said, to me, it is not a job. I don’t get up in the morning and feel gloom and doom before I go to work. The rewards and blessings I get from this job are worth more than the money. In my mind, I feel I am a Care Pro of the Month every month when I gauge the reactions of my clients to my care.”
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.
