Teresa Noticed Overwhelming Need to Help Seniors
When Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Teresa Custis explained her interest in professional senior care, she first mentioned her family-caregiving experience with her grandfather. Then Teresa broadened her concern for the elderly to include all seniors who are facing challenges they hadn’t encountered when they were younger. Whether the difficulties with activities of daily living had come up suddenly or slowly and incrementally, it was clear to Teresa that there was a great need for help.
“Not only thinking of my grandfather’s difficulties, I also saw elderly people struggling at supermarkets and in other public places. As a result, I decided I would give it a try with Home Instead, and I love it,” said Teresa, referring to Home Instead of Philadelphia, where Steve Levin is a co-owner and the chief executive officer. Charlea Lyn Grieco is the other co-owner as well as serving as the award-winning franchise’s chief operations officer.
Teresa explained: “I found Home Instead online while I was searching for home-health aide jobs. My third-year anniversary with Home Instead comes up in October.” In March 2024, Home Instead Service Manager Janelle Muhlanga announced Teresa had been honored as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month. “Teresa embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart,’ ” Janelle said.
For Teresa, 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. Janelle noted that Teresa’s focus on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving helped her achieve Care Pro of the Month status. Among the other considerations for achieving Care Pro of the Month status, Teresa has shown she has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
“What I really like about my job is getting the opportunity to help others who need care. It’s good for me to learn about the different situations that clients are facing. Since this job continues to be a learning experience because of the vast number of different age-related challenges, I take what I have learned from helping former clients to assist new clients who face the challenges I already have seen,” Teresa said.
To build on their knowledge and experience, Teresa and other Care Pros are offered the opportunity to increase their dementia-care skills by taking part in the Home Instead network’s one-of-a-kind training protocol. Home Instead’s Person-Centered Care Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for incorporating the evidence-based care recommendations in these topic areas: person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication.
Teresa feels fulfillment from helping clients and their family members. “My favorite story is about one of my clients who passed away. He was so kind, caring and loving. He was just the sweetest man on Earth. He was a former opera singer, and he showed me all his music and pictures of famous opera singers with whom he sang. It was always a productive day when I worked with him,” Teresa said.
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.
