Care Pro Cindy Has ‘Bonus Client’
They are quite a pair: Ms. M. and R.
Care Professional of the Month Cindy Ball offers love and compassion to her client, Ms. M., as well as Ms. M.’s canine companion, R. She takes care of both of them on behalf of the award-winning Home Instead® franchise in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Ms. M. is an 82-year-old widow who dearly loves R. They have been together for years, and R. is very protective of Ms. M. She is adamant that his care is just as important as hers. Cindy honors Ms. M.’s wishes by including R. as part of her care regimen. Ms. M. will easily agree to walks in the yard and “front-porch sitting” if R. is included.
Ms. M. has been a widow for a few years. She treasures the memories of her late husband. She has pictures of him and her family throughout her home. Ms. M. is known for her decorating skills. She often gets the itch to rearrange pictures of her family and decorate for each upcoming holiday. Of course, Cindy is happy to assist her. Ms. M. lights up when she looks at her new arrangement of family pictures or holiday decorations. Cindy always gives Ms. M. her undivided attention when she needs to talk or reminisce about the memorable events in her life. They also go shopping, go out to eat and go to medical appointments. Cindy said, “Companionship is very important to Ms. M.”
While companionship is important, Ms. M. also loves to eat. Unfortunately, Ms. M. is unable to cook for herself. Cindy eagerly prepares her meals for the day and keeps her refrigerator full of easily accessible prepared foods.
Cindy’s experience with caregiving began at a very early age. She helped take care of her five siblings after her father passed away when she was 8 years old. Before her mother passed away, Cindy and her siblings took turns taking care of her mother, who was bedbound. Cindy has raised two children, and she assists with her six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Cindy added, “All of my previous caregiving experiences have helped me a lot with my Home Instead clients.” She also pointed out that she really enjoys working for Home Instead and being able to continue doing what she loves, which is helping people. Cindy said: “If a client needs someone, I am that person.”
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Cindy provides all of her clients with safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Cindy offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Cindy not only assists her clients, but helps their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
To build on their knowledge and experience, Cindy and other Care Pros at Mount Airy are offered the opportunity to increase their dementia-care skills by taking part in the Home Instead network’s one-of-a-kind training protocol. Home Instead’s Person-Centered Care Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for incorporating the evidence-based dementia-care practice recommendations in these topic areas: Alzheimer’s and dementia, person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication.
For Cindy, touching lives impacts her soul, whether she is providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role. Focusing on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving helped Cindy achieve the Care Pro of the Month award.
Home Instead Staff Coordinator Sharon Bledsoe said: “Our office staff feels Cindy’s Care Pro of the Month honor is well-deserved, and we are so glad she is a part of our team. Cindy displays Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ ”
