Dale Finds Road to Fulfillment as a CAREGiver
The Home Instead® client had a puzzled look as he peered through the car window at the magnificent Mount Airy countryside. He turned to his driver, CAREGiver of the Month Dale Chess, and said: “Dale, we are so far out in the boonies that these houses probably don’t have electricity.” Sensing that his client-turned-travel-guide had lost his bearings, Dale smiled.
“He’s a very special client who loves to go on car rides. I enjoy listening to his stories during the rides, and he points out the local historical sites. On that particular car ride, I believe he was not sure where we were,” said Dale, who found his Home Instead CAREGiver position after he had moved from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to Mount Airy. The rides are a special treat for the client, and Dale feels privileged to lift his client’s spirits. The situation is a win-win for both.
“I can’t believe anyone has a better job than the one I have,” said Dale, who has spent six months with the award-winning Home Instead franchise owned by Van and Ann Lankford. Staff Coordinator Sharon Bledsoe announced Dale’s honor as September CAREGiver of the Month.
In South Carolina, Dale had been an owner/operator of his own beauty salon and then managed a salon inside a JCPenney® for the past 13 years. Referring to his decision to try professional senior care, Dale said: “I knew I wanted a job where I could help people and give support to someone who needed it.”
An outgoing soul, Dale has always had a heart and inner drive for providing assistance to people of all ages. For instance, he served on a board of education when his children were in school. “In that role,” Dale said, “I helped students and parents who needed a voice. I have always enjoyed helping people and helping those who could not always help themselves. I also very much enjoy meeting new people and making new friends.”
Pointing to his close-knit family who deeply values relationships, Dale pointed out: “I have been married for 31 years and have four grown children and one grandson. I am very proud of my family. We are always there for each other, and I enjoy spending time with my wife and children.” With elderly family members, for whom Dale has served as a family caregiver at times, he said: “My 89-year-old mother lives in Pennsylvania. I call her at least three times a day and visit at least once a month. I also helped take care of my father-in-law during his final years. I helped with his medications and was there to listen and spend time with him.”
The bottom line, Dale said, is this: “I have always tried to be a caring and compassionate person, caring for a lot of loved ones through the years.” He has used that empathy to help his Home Instead clients. “They are more than ‘clients’ to me,” Dale said.
He added: “I very much enjoy my Home Instead job. All clients and the office members have been a pleasure with whom to work. The Mount Airy franchise office staff and owners are very friendly and respectful, and they treat me like family. This is one of the best jobs I have enjoyed. I have also enjoyed every client with whom I have worked.”
For Dale and his fellow CAREGivers, touching lives impacts their souls, whether they are providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if they are offering emotional support in a companionship role. Dale is among more than 100,000 CAREGivers worldwide, and he has helped add to those numbers because of his strong belief in Home Instead’s purpose. It isn’t hard to see Dale lives the Home Instead principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (336) 789-4472 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
