Jennifer Mickens heard about Home Instead Senior Care® through a friend who was once employed by Home Instead in another Florida county. So, about 18 months ago, Jennifer checked out Home Instead of Clearwater, which serves Pinellas County.

“When I joined Home Instead Senior Care on June 6, 2017, I had had no previous experience with home health,” Jennifer explained. “Since joining Home Instead, I have gained a lot of knowledge about working with seniors and the disabled. I enjoy my job and Home Instead, and I now have obtained my CNA license as well.”

No training was needed for the God-given soft heart, compassion, empathy and nurturing abilities that Jennifer always has possessed. Mixing attitude and preparation with opportunity, Jennifer has excelled and was honored as CAREGiver of the Month for September 2018, Director of CAREGiver Services JC Crady announced.

“It’s always a great feeling to know my hard work is being recognized. I was totally caught off-guard when I received the phone call that I had been named CAREGiver of the Month. I want to thank Home Instead Senior Care for this opportunity,” said Jennifer, who holds another full-time job during the day and some nights as well as working as a Home Instead CAREGiver. “I love how compassionate this company is, and they are great with accommodating your needs and wants. There’s always plenty of work available.”

Jennifer added: “I have met a lot of nice people with wonderful stories to tell regarding their lives’ histories. I have always liked seniors, but I have a new-found respect for the elderly.”

Jennifer received excellent initial training and orientation because no one is better with training than Home Instead Senior Care. The major points in the franchise’s overall training program include regular ongoing education. The franchise’s well-rounded basic curriculum builds a solid foundation and includes The Aging Process, Safe Client, Safe CAREGiver, Building Relationships plus job-specific skills, including documentation in the Client Journal.

“Home Instead Senior Care has taught me a lot and continuously offers ongoing training and refresher courses regularly,” Jennifer said.

Ongoing training includes optional sessions; monthly newsletter with tips and information; library of reference materials and resources, online and office; on-the-job training for unique situations; 24/7 telephone support from experienced managers. Advanced training includes Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias Training, called CARE: Changing Aging through Research and Education®; Parkinson’s care; chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, stroke, cancer, heart disease, depression and weight-related issues.

Owner Julie Castle’s award-winning franchise is part of the Home Instead Senior Care network that, as a whole, has received the prestigious JD Power President’s Award in recognition for its commitment to caring for older adults and exceeding customer expectations.

 

The J.D. Power President’s Award is a discretionary award that recognizes individuals or companies demonstrating dedication, commitment and sustained improvement in serving customers. During the 50-year history of J.D. Power, only 13 companies have previously received the award.

 

Overall, for the international company that was founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Paul and Lori Hogan, Jennifer is among more than 70,000 professional CAREGivers. Home Instead employees rate their employers highly. Forbes’ third annual “America’s Best Employers” list honored Home Instead Senior Care as one of its best employers for 2017.