Amber Finds Her Career Calling as a Care Pro
When Care Professional of the Month Amber Villarreal assists a Home Instead® client, Amber can’t help but think of her late grandmother.
“My grandmother became very sick, so my family and I took care of her until she ultimately got placed on hospice and passed away. Going into caregiving after losing her made me feel close to her. Taking care of people is what I’ve always done and is what I’m good at. This is my calling. People talk about having a calling to do caregiving, and that’s exactly what happened for me,” said Amber, who admitted that before joining Home Instead of Midland-Odessa last spring she still had been undecided about a work career.
Serving seniors and their families since March 2023 erased the career doubts for Amber. Her Home Instead position opened doors to many new and fulfilling experiences for Amber, including a leadership role as the franchise’s Lead Care Pro. “I’m grateful for all that Home Instead has done for me and the opportunities I’ve received to grow as a Care Pro. It is a great company to work for,” Amber pointed out.
The part of her job that Amber loves most is meeting all of her clients around the Permian Basin. “There are a lot of different people with different backgrounds, and you get to hear their stories. You learn who they were and what they loved to do before they got to the point of needing care,” Amber explained.
Amber’s first assigned client was a military veteran who needed help with meals, transportation to appointments and companionship. Amber said: “I remember the first few weeks were challenging because it was new for him and me. We ended up getting along really well. Even his grandson would stop by to say hi to me.”
Human Resources Director, Assistant Administrator and Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator Imelda Hawkins loves to talk about Amber’s evolution from a novice Care Pro to the award-winning Home Instead’s employee of the month for December 2023.
“Since Amber joined us at Home Instead,” Imelda said, “she has enrolled in classes, successfully completed them and has become a CNA. That all has happened while she was also working with our clients. Amber has performed above and beyond as a Care Pro, which led her down a career path at our Home Instead franchise to the role of our Lead Care Pro.”
Imelda added: “As our Lead Care Pro, Amber teaches our new employees the hands-on personal-care training during orientation, does most of our Care Pro introductions to clients, attends staff meetings and shadows shifts with our new hires, or current Care Pros who need refreshers. Amber was the perfect Care Pro of the Month to end 2023, a record-setting year for our franchise! Amber is a true gem for whom we are thankful each day.”
Since joining the franchise owned by Lorena and William Shensky, Amber has savored her roles as Care Pro and Lead Care Pro at the Midland-Odessa office, a member of a network comprised of Home Instead, Inc. and its parent company, Honor. With the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform, Honor and Home Instead are revolutionizing care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (432) 689-4663 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
