Shaneena Savors Her ‘Priceless and Unexpected Experience’
“My life has forever been changed.”
Those are Care Professional of the Month Shaneena Landry’s words, and they refer to the folks whom she calls “auntie” and “uncle” and show the impact they’ve had on her life. With respect to the endearing nicknames Shaneena has given them, it is clear that “auntie” and “uncle” are like family. They have been Shaneena’s clients since she joined Home Instead® of Mount Airy, North Carolina, earlier this year.
“I have been truly blessed by meeting this wonderful family. I am so glad I was sent to take care of them. It has been a priceless and unexpected experience,” Shaneena said. “I am so thankful God placed me with ‘uncle’ and auntie.’ The three of us needed each other. I am forever grateful I was the lucky one to be placed with this family.”
Shaneena added: “I wanted to add that I enjoy every day with this beautiful couple. Assisting them has made me a better person. They help me more than I help them. This family inspires me to be not only a better person, but to achieve the highest goals. I only pray that as my little family grows – once my two children begin their own families – I can be half the parent that my clients have been to their children.”
Memorable times with her two clients have come in many forms, including songs and plenty of laughs. “I definitely enjoy the times when the three of us sing ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ There also was the time when ‘uncle’ ate Gummy Bears for the first time in front of me. I wish I had videoed his facial expressions. You would have thought he ate sour candy. It was so funny, and they agreed. There is never a dull moment, that’s for sure,” Shaneena said.
Shaneena emphasized that she enjoys her Home Instead job. “I’m interacting with my clients who are now not only part of my family, but I am part of theirs.” Shaneena became a part of another family shortly after she joined the award-winning Home Instead franchise owned by Van and Ann Lankford on Feb. 2, 2024. “Honestly, I didn’t find Home Instead. They found me. They reached out to me, and initially I wasn’t ready. During the two to three months after my Home Instead interview, I prayed a lot about what direction the Lord wanted me to go. As a result, I called back and told Home Instead that I was interested in becoming a Care Pro. Their schedule fit perfectly with my school schedule and with being a mom, too,” Shaneena said.
Before coming to Home Instead, Shaneena trained refugees from Afghanistan for jobs and taught herself the languages of Pashto and “a little bit of Arabic,” without using electronics. Shaneena said: “I used books, along with interacting with the refugees while training them to work. I absolutely loved it. I still keep in contact with my former trainees, along with their families in the U.S. and Afghanistan. They call me ‘Commander.’ ”
Shaneena always has received fulfillment from helping people of all ages. From 2007 to 2010, she worked with mentally challenged patients. “I absolutely loved it. I feel I’m a behind-the-scenes type of person. It’s hard for me to receive thanks and praise when others say they feel they have benefited from my assistance. I’d rather have God get all the praise and glory. Because if not for the Lord, I would not be the person I am today,” Shaneena said.
Shaneena doesn’t use the word “work” when she discusses what she does. “To me, it’s not a ‘job’ because I get the opportunity to be myself, have fun and, most important, laugh throughout the day while providing assistance,” Shaneena said.
Referring to the challenges many seniors face, Shaneena said: “One day this will be me, you, all of us. It’s past time that, as a society, we not only respect our elders, but take care of them. The passion to help has to be authentic. Anyone, including the clients, can tell if you’re there only to collect a paycheck vs. being there because you want to be there to care for them. Trust me, you can make a difference if you are willing. Seniors helped build our country, and they are more than worth our efforts to keep them safe and provide them with as much comfort as possible. They deserve to live their best life in the time they have left here.”
