Health Scare Serves as Impetus For Amanda to Become Care Pro
For Amanda Simmons, it was a fateful day. She had just moved back to the Midland-Odessa area from Waco, Texas, and she suddenly came down with a serious malady while she was cleaning a house and ended up in the hospital.
“Doctors said they had to operate, or I was going to die. I stayed in the hospital for 64 days,” recalled Amanda, a former CNA. “I lost my job as I lay in bed not getting the best care. It was an awful experience. I prayed to the Lord, asking, ‘Why am I going through this?’ I told the Lord I had tried to live in a right manner and minister to those who had been in my care, and I always have had compassion and respect for them. While I was lying in my hospital bed, I made my mind up about the job I would be seeking.”
So, what was Amanda’s decision? “After I recovered,” Amanda said, “I looked online for a caregiver job and made some inquiries. I was contacted for several interviews, but I called Home Instead® of Midland-Odessa. They asked, ‘Can you come right now?’ and I got hired. I am grateful that I did.”
Home Instead Assistant Administrator and Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Imelda Hawkins picked up the story from there with more details: “Amanda is an ordained minister and former CNA who came to us Dec. 30, 2021, to shine her light on our New Year, and hopefully she’ll continue to do that for years to come. Amanda has been an inspiration and great addition to our Care Professionals team. She exemplifies our core values of ‘Building Trust, Taking the Lead and Sharing Her Heart.’ ”
Speaking on behalf of co-owners Lorena and William Shensky, Imelda added: “Amanda is our Care Pro of the Month for August.”
Amanda’s professional caregiving background started at age 17 at a nursing home, where she worked for about nine years before shifting to private-duty home care. “I started out in life really caring about people who were sick, especially the elderly. I went to college for my CNA and also received other training. I love talking with the elderly because they have such wisdom. Most of them are just looking for companionship,” Amanda said.
Amanda had come back to Midland to take care of her parents. Her mother had cancer, and her father had diabetes. “I took them to medical appointments and did everything I could, and then they were gone,” Amanda said.
She draws strength from the Home Instead staff and her fulfillment from assisting clients. “Working for Home Instead has been very rewarding. I have not seen staff that is better than the one at Home Instead. They hold their Care Pros in high esteem, and it makes you want to do your best. That is the thing I like the most about my job – I have a very good employer who cares for its workers. If we are sick or need help, they are there. One time my car broke down, and they gave me a ride,” Amanda said. “Not all clients are nice to you, but I always respect, love and care for them. I’ve had some awesome clients who have a lot of stories. I really enjoy our conversations.”
Amanda has a favorite client story. “When I first went into my client’s home, she said, ‘I am a pastor, and my husband is, too.’ I told her I’m a pastor as well. She laughed, smiled, prayed and sang, although she was in pain. She has six wonderful children, and her family comes together every Sunday. They love us Care Pros and make our jobs easy. If you could see this big family around their dying mom, making her final days full of joy, you’d be amazed. It brings tears to my eyes, to know this chapter in their lives will soon be over for this family, but they have been blessed,” Amanda said.
Imelda said Home Instead and its clients feel blessed by Amanda’s compassionate, skilled touch. “When Amanda is not providing world-class care to her clients, she is studying her Bible. She also likes to take walks at the duck pond and loves spending time with her family, who according to Amanda, ‘loves food.’ Amanda is a total gem for us at Home Instead!” Imelda said.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (432) 689-4663 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
