Home Instead Senior Care CAREGiver Corner Home Instead Senior Care a place of growth & Belonging Message From the President I ran into an old friend at church recently. After exchanging some pleasantries, I discovered that he had lost his mother to Alzheimer’s Disease just a few days before. In fact, they were preparing for her funeral the next day. Turns out his mother had been suffering with Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years, and his father had been a diligent and faithful caregiver. He de- scribed that his mother had no longer recognized family members in the later stages, and he and his siblings generally felt it was a blessing that she had finally passed. What he couldn’t understand were his father’s actions, he said. In her final days, when the children had told their mother that it was ok to go, he would contradict them by saying things like: “Don’t go, Honey. Don’t leave me.” And now, he seemed to be taking her death particularly hard, even though his wife had been quite a burden for several years. Finally my friend said, “It seems like it should be simple, but it’s so compli- cated.” Unfortunately, there is no script for how we should or shouldn’t react to the loss of a loved one. My friend’s dad was probably already struggling with what his new role in life would be. After all, caregiving had become his identity….not to mention being a husband. The conversation reminded me to expect the unexpected when it comes to loss, and to be respectful of everyone’s unique grieving process. Simple, right?! Steve Nooyen Franchise Owner [email protected] CAREGiver of the Month The Appleton/Oshkosh office is proud to an- nounce Erin Mathe as CAREGiver of Month for May 2011! Since Erin started with Home Instead Senior Care last year she has time and time again exceeded our expecta- tions. Her upbeat and outgoing personality is infectious! Erin cares for the clients she works with as if they were a part of her family. She is in constant communication with the office offering feedback with what can make the client’s experience with Home Instead Senior Care even better! Recently, she helped us put together an in-depth routine for her client which took a lot of her own personal time. Her willingness to go above and beyond has made an impression on the office staff. Erin has also rearranged her personal schedule to accept shifts outside of her avail- ability even without having met the client. Erin’s dedication to her clients is admirable and we are so lucky to have her as a part of our team! You have strong relationships with your clients. You worry about them and they worry about you! What if they need some milk? What if they want to change their schedule? What if they ask for your phone number? A) Give it to them. They can call you any time! B) Give them your cell phone number. You can turn it off outside of work hours. C) Give them your HISC business card. Explain all communication needs to go through the office. This keeps us in the loop & eliminates stress from you! D) Tell them it’s company policy not to call you. Submit your answer to be entered into this month’s drawing for a $10.00 gift card! Entries must be received by May 16th. Submit your entry: 1) In person 2) By mail: 901 Anderson Dr., Green Bay, WI 54304 3) Email to: [email protected] GOOD LUCK! Winners will be announced in next month’s newsletter. Last month’s answer: D) If you have been offered a shift offering personal cares or using a lifting device you should call HISC to request some one/one training. Our training staff will be happy to help you regain your comfort level and confidence! Trivia Question of the Month Upcoming Events! MAY: In-Services Details to come… JUNE: CAREGiver Pic-Nic Details to come... April Winners Appleton: Erin Mathe Green Bay: Megan Mutterer Oz/Wash: Lori Mannes Had an introduction lately? If you have, then you know that when a client meets a CAREGiver for the first time it can create feelings of anxiety or nervous- ness for both the client and CAREGiver. That is why we require that 100% of Client/ CAREGiver introductions be facilitated by a staff member or Introduction Specialist who have been specially trained. When you have an Introduction to a new client scheduled, please DO NOT enter the client’s home alone. Instead, wait in the designated location for the Introduction Specialist (i.e., in your car, lobby of the facility). We will take every effort to arrive before you do for the Introduction; however, if you are there before us, hold tight because we are on our way! If you are unsure, just give us a call at the office and THANK YOU for allowing us to do a warm introduction be- tween you and our clients. ISSUE 27