Kortoe Views Clients as if They Were Her Parents
CAREGiver of the Month Kortoe Cassell doesn’t have to be with her clients every day to feel a strong connection to them. “In my heart,” Kortoe said, “I consider each client like my mom or dad. I see them as if they were parents no matter how many hours I spend with them each week.”
To get a sense of Kortoe’s compassionate personality, one must venture back to her childhood days to get a glimpse of her family caregiving. Kortoe grew up in West Africa, where she and other family members learned to be nurturers at an early age. “In our culture, the oldest daughter and son care for the rest of the siblings. That was me and a brother,” Kortoe explained.
Kortoe also helped elderly family members. “I felt honored to do so. We cared for aunts and uncles. I grew up with great-grandparents and grandparents. They have a lot of wisdom. To take the pressure off our mom and dad, we’d help elderly family members whenever the need arose. There was no question that we’d come help as soon as we could,” said Kortoe, whose father died in 1985 and whose mother died in 2018 at age 98. “I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with my mother during her last days.”
Kortoe added, “In our way of thinking in our culture, we wanted daughters and nieces taking care of aunts, uncles and other family members. Seniors live longer and heal better at home. When they are at home, they have something to look forward to each day: human contact.”
When Kortoe joined Home Instead® of Philadelphia, she found a great job fit with the award-winning downtown franchise owned by Steve Levin. In December 2020, HR Manager Charlea Lyn Grieco announced that Kortoe had been honored as CAREGiver of the Month.
“I’m a compassionate person. Caring is my hobby. Every client’s needs are different. You take your time and listen. After taking in all the information, you ought to know what you should do to help them,” said Kortoe, who was working for a home-care agency in 2004 before giving birth to twins. When she resumed working, she moved to New Jersey and first worked in a senior-care facility there before taking a job with an in-home care agency. When she returned to Philadelphia, Kortoe went to work for Home Instead.
“I did not like the facility experience. There was one worker to 10, 15 or maybe 25 residents for an eight-hour shift. I would not want that kind of situation for my father and mother if I could prevent it. I put in my resignation before my three-month probation was up. After my probation, I started work with the other senior-care company. Regarding the facility, it was a good idea to try it and become exposed to new care ideas and learn different things. But there were no relationships with the residents. Workers are always rushing.”
Home Instead experiences vary for CAREGivers. In one example, Kortoe started with a client as a fill-in, and the arrangement grew to a regular shift two days a week. In another situation, Kortoe has been taking care of a husband and wife, both 95, for the past couple of months.
“They do pretty well, are fairly independent and do not require 24/7 care. Their attitudes are good, and they are amazing for their age,” Kortoe said. “They are sharp – no dementia – and have good hearing. Before I arrived, they’d had a couple of slips and falls. I assist them so they won’t be forced to do anything unsafe. Their outlook can be a little challenging if you are a new CAREGiver. If you are new, they will never ask you to do anything for them. It is a trust issue. It took a week or two to make them comfortable. Now we’re great together. I won their heart.”
Putting herself in her clients’ shoes in a general sense, Kortoe said: “It is difficult to have someone to help you with personal care. It is a trust issue. They allow you to help them more gradually. I don’t push it. They allow you to help them most when they feel the time is right. Humor and smiles help greatly. I try to keep it light and not let it develop into a serious situation. I never order a client to do anything. I remind clients I’m trained to help them with whatever they need. Reassurance is key. I tell them, ‘Everything will be OK. Let me try to help you.’ ”
Kortoe has been pleased with each client assignment she has received. “Home Instead is good. There are no problems, no negatives. I have good feelings. I haven’t had to jump around in the same way I had moved around a lot with another company to get to clients. I am happy for my opportunity with Home Instead,” Kortoe said.
Home Instead CAREGivers, who are screened, trained, bonded and insured, provide a variety of in-home support services to help keep seniors independent. For employment inquiries, apply online or call (215) 925-4610. For more information, visit our website.
