For Caregiver of the Month Karen Ochoa, working with every Home Instead® client is like providing care to one of her family members. “I see my parents in each of my clients and treat them with that same respect,” said Karen, a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and former CNA who joined Home Instead of Martinsburg, West Virginia, on May 3, 2023.
To understand the completeness of Karen’s compassionate care for her Home Instead clients, it’s worth a look at what Karen did for her late father. “As a family caregiver for my father,” Karen said, “I experienced a multitude of feelings and experiences that included ups and downs. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018, and his health went downhill in eight months. He was getting better for a while before an abrupt downward trend.”
Karen added: “I handled most of his care, with my two sisters pitching in. My responsibilities included bathing, feeding, delivering his medications, providing insulin shots and water retention shots. I drained fluid from his stomach, walked with him and took him to medical appointments. I also dressed and shaved him. I learned to be a more patient person, and I also learned that time is to be treasured with our loved ones as well as the people we serve professionally.”
Karen previously worked in the professional caregiving world as a CNA. While she was a CNA, Karen was an employee at an Armed Forces retirement home. While serving there, Karen’s responsibilities included bathing, changing bed sheets, preparing residents for breakfast and lunch and taking them to their activities.
A few years later, Karen worked in a doctor’s office as a CMA. “I gained a lot of experience with a number of administrative and medical responsibilities. In addition to ministering to them in many different medical ways, I also taught patients, including diabetics, how do take care of themselves. We saw from 20 to 45 patients a day, so I kept quite busy. From giving vaccinations and B-12 shots to removing stitches and staples, I had pretty much done it all.” Karen explained.
Karen found Home Instead while she was searching for a CMA job. “I had a feeling in my heart that I should try to work for Home Instead. I did not know much about the job. I really thought this job would be temporary until I found the right CMA position, but look at me: It’s been six months already, and I love working for Home Instead. The fulfillment is better than I had first anticipated when you consider the work-and-home balance,” Karen pointed out.
“I wanted to become a Caregiver to provide the needed assistance for others. When my clients’ families are working, I feel I can provide my knowledge and expertise that put their minds at ease. I also knew I could juggle my work hours with my family responsibilities to my children. I really love and appreciate the Home Instead office. Everyone has been awesome.”
What Karen likes most about her job is that she can spoil her clients. “By providing good and different foods they like, I’m able to please them. I enjoy the companionship aspect, especially their stories, the games we play and the jokes. They feel like family. I can really spoil them,” Karen said. “I have a favorite client who sits behind his front door until I get there. As soon as I arrive, his reaction is priceless. He says, ‘Oh, hey you! I’m glad to see you. I thought you might not come back.’ I start laughing and say, ‘Oh you, come on. Why would I not come back? I’m here only once a week.’ He always says, ‘I wish you were here every day.’ He is a real joy.”
Karen works for owner Keith Clay’s award-winning Home Instead office that serves West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, including Berkeley Springs, Harpers Ferry, Capon Bridge, Capon Spring, Charles Town, Charleston, Great Cacapon and Delray. The franchise’s general manager, Allyson Starling, announced Karen’s honor.
All Home Instead Caregivers are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
