Mary Says: ‘God Put Me in This Job’
CAREGiver of the Month Mary Winters is passionate about her job with Home Instead® of Martinsburg, West Virginia. “I’ve been around seniors since I was 10. Working with seniors is a natural thing,” she said.
Emphasizing the significance of being a CAREGiver, Mary added: “God put me in a job where He wants me, and this is not just some silly little job,” said Mary, who joined the award-winning Home Instead franchise in August 2018. “The takeaway for the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this job originates with my family, who has taken care of our elderly and disabled. It is our way.”
Mary’s parents died when she was young. Her mother was the youngest of 11 siblings, and Mary’s aunts and uncles took care of her. “They were my world. It was such a thrill for me as I grew up to hear my family members’ stories. I’d hear about how they got through the Great Depression and other stories about ‘the good old days.’ Nowadays, I’ve gotten the feeling that fewer people want to listen to seniors. They’ve got their own diversions that include their electronic devices such as smart phones and tablets. A quality senior-care worker listens to the clients. Seniors are living history books.”
With one client and her husband, Mary can delve into their common West Virginia history. During their times of shared companionship, they chat about the scenic countryside that includes the state’s Eastern Panhandle, which is in the Home Instead franchise’s service area.
“The client’s father-in-law was preaching in the 1940s where my mother grew up, ironically at the church I was married. In fact, my husband and I were the last couple to be married in that church before it closed its doors. It was next to the Potomac River. My client grew up maybe three miles from where my parents lived. I had no idea about these longtime connections. You have to get to know people, take an interest in them, to find out these commonalities,” Mary said.
“My other client lives alone and is a retired professor from Shepherd University. He was born in Ireland. His family is from a county that borders the county where my ancestors lived and immigrated from. Getting him as a client is not by chance. My two clients are not happenstance.”
Allyson Starling, who works in the Home Instead franchise’s human relations department and in recruitment and retention, said: “We proudly announced Mary as our CAREGiver of the Month at Martinsburg in February. She is a wonderful CAREGiver who is continually reliable and dependable. She’s also a hard worker, faithfully serving her regular clients. She is devoted to her clients, and they love her. Just the other day, we received a call from one of her clients who called just to praise Mary. She believes in what she does – something that is evident in how she acts every day. This is an award to celebrate distinguished, excellent CAREGivers, and Mary is certainly deserving of it. We’re so proud of Mary! Congratulations!”
Every client’s situation is different. “Even though the client’s husband is not officially on our books as a client, I give him appropriate consideration as he tries to help his wife when a Home Instead CAREGiver is not present with them,” Mary said. “For instance, the husband’s mobility is fair. When I first started, he was using a cane, but I have persuaded him to use a walker. I told him, ‘You can take care of her better if you use a walker.’ ”
The wife has Parkinson’s disease, along with Lewy body dementia, which is present in about half of all Parkinson’s cases. According to the Mayo Clinic, people with Lewy body dementia may experience visual hallucinations and changes in alertness and attention, and that is the case with Mary’s client. “She mostly thinks she sees animals outside. I think she’s seeing shadows, and they become real to her. Her dream turns into things that she vocalizes,” Mary said.
“We try to get her outside the house if the weather permits, which helps her emotionally. She plays scrabble and crossword puzzles. She ‘ciphers’ with number games and does great. As is typical for anyone with dementia, she might not remember what she had for breakfast, but she has memory of other things. Her life changes all the time, which is brain-related. It can be challenging. There is joy: She is happy to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
For her other client, the retired professor, Mary noted he is mobile and self-sufficient. “He can drive to the grocery store and go to the doctor on his own, but he wants me to go with him to get groceries,” she said. “I do housekeeping, meal preparation and maintenance, whatever he needs. He likes to get out and go. As the weather improved, we began exploring Shepherdstown. He loves photography, and I encourage that hobby for him.”
Being a CAREGiver, Mary said, is “a big part of my life.” She added: “I love my clients, and I can’t imagine life without them. I get emotional when I talk about them. God gave me these folks. This was not happenstance.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (304) 263-4472 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
