CAREGiver of the Month

I’m thrilled and humbled to be recognized. Caring for others has always been a passion. I am caring, hardworking, a good communicator, great listener and enjoy working with others, especially older people. My aim is to serve from my heart and ensure my clients are deeply loved and not alone on this journey.

I completed my graduation from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. Before coming to Canada, I gained experience as a caregiver while volunteering in India, where I spent much of my time helping elderly and needy people in my community. Supporting them gave me a deep sense of purpose, and I have always felt that being able to care for others is one of the best things I can do in my life.

I am dedicated to my work and truly enjoy spending time with older adults, listening to their stories, learning from their experiences, and offering comfort and companionship. I believe that helping seniors is not just a job but a blessing, and I feel grateful each day to have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.

Outside of work, I have a lovely and friendly family. I enjoy visiting the temple in my spare time to pray for my loved ones and for the well-being of those I care for. I also love to read and spend quiet moments reflecting and learning.

As I continue to gain caregiving experience, I am determined to further my studies and pursue my goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. I believe that every act of care, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to that dream and allows me to continue growing in this meaningful profession.

Michaela has been a valued member of the Home Instead Ottawa team since January 2025 and continues to stand out through her reliability, professionalism, and radiant personality. She is the kind of caregiver every client looks forward to seeing — always on time, dependable, and brings a bright smile that instantly lifts the mood of those around her. Her positive energy and genuine care make a lasting impact on both her clients and colleagues alike.

Michaela embodies our Home Instead core values of Build Trust, Take the Lead, and Share Your Heart in everything she does. She consistently earns the trust of her clients through her reliability and attentiveness, takes initiative in her work, and shares her warmth and compassion with everyone she meets.

Before joining Home Instead, Michaela earned her Personal Support Worker certification and made the honor roll in her program — a reflection of her strong dedication and work ethic. In addition to her caregiving career, she is also a personal trainer specializing in clients aged 50+, combining her knowledge of fitness and health to help older adults stay active and confident in their daily lives.

Outside of work, Michaela enjoys weightlifting, reading books about strength training, or relaxing with a good French novel. Her favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life, which perfectly matches her uplifting personality and outlook on life. She loves shopping at Value Village, where she enjoys the thrill of finding hidden treasures, and she brings that same enthusiasm and optimism to every aspect of her work.

 With her bubbly personality, professionalism, and deep sense of care, Michaela truly represents what it means to be a Home Instead Care Professional. She not only provides excellent care but also creates genuine connections that brighten her clients’ days and make a meaningful difference in their lives.

Congratulations, Michaela — thank you for all that you do and for sharing your heart with the Home Instead family!

Mona's journey with Home Instead began after seeing a commercial following her completion of the PSW program. Over 12 years, she has dedicated herself to caregiving—spending seven years in Mississauga and five in Ottawa—drawing on her personal experience caring for her grandmother. Mona deeply values the opportunity to engage with diverse clients and cultures.

She appreciates Home Instead's flexibility and supportive office staff, which enables her to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Committed to professional growth, Mona actively participates in all available training programs. Her genuine passion for caregiving shines through in her love for her clients, exemplified by her favorite memory of being called an "angel" by one of them.

Outside of work, Mona enjoys cooking and extends her caring nature by helping her neighbor with meals twice a week. Known for her kindness, patience, and dedication, Mona cherishes her role at Home Instead, where she feels part of a family and looks forward to making a difference
daily.

Rachelle has been with Home Instead since July 2023. Since then she has been a force to be reconned with. Rachelle works well with all of her clients. She brings such clamness to them all. Coming from a Rehabilitation background Rachelle brings knowlege to us all. In her spare time Rachelle spends time with her grandchildren, her dog and the rest of the family.

Waad has been with Home Instead since last October, during that time he has developed as a caregiver. He is very kind and gentle with his clients. He works with a variety of clients for us. During his time, he has also added in his 6A insurance in order to better serve our Home Instead clients. Waad has recently started working with one of our younger clients who has Autism. We are there to take the client out for activities in the community. In the past we did assist this client, but we did not find a fit as good as he and Waad. Thank you, Waad, for taking such good care of our clients.

Sheshalom has worked with Home Instead since October 2022. During that time is has been a great pleasure to see Sheshalom develop as a caregiver. Sheshalom went to school to become a PSW. This has increased her skill set and opened up new doors for learning. At this time Sheshalom is still furthering her education. Clients are reaching out and asking for her specifically. It has been a pleasure getting to see Sheshalom develop as a CAREGiver with Home Instead.

Suzanne A has been with Home Instead since January 2019. Over the years she has provided wonderful care to all of her clients. Suzanne is a French speaking PSW, her skill set comes in handy often. Suzanne has been working with one of her current client since April 2021. They have developed a wonderful relationship and Suzanne is so wonderful helping them the meals that her client and her family eat every day. Suzanne started with another client in October 2023. This is what the family think of her ” Further to our conversation, I would like to reiterate how pleased we are with Suzanne Antonian, our personal care worker for my Mom. Suzanne's reliability and punctuality are top-notch and give us peace of mind to know Mom's needs will be addressed in her thrice weekly visits. Along with this, she is kind and efficient with my Mom. Suzanne addresses my Mom's personal care, giving her a shower, getting her dressed and ready for the day. She also changes my parents' bedding weekly, does light loads of laundry and light tidying up in the kitchen. When weather permits, she takes my Mom on neighbourhood walks supervising Mom's use of the walker. In order to keep Mom engaged, Suzanne will play simple games or colour with Mom. As we know, cognitive engagement is an enemy of dementia. We are in an established routine with Suzanne and again, are grateful to have her ease our load with our beloved Mom and wife. Should our needs change, we will reach out but for now, are grateful for Suzanne's availability and skills.”

This month we would like to recognize our CAREGiver Rachelle G.  Rachelle has been with Home Instead since August of 2023. Rachelle has been such an amazing Caregiver right from the start.  Her first client was a younger gentleman that she accompanied to his summer camp for the week.  The Long Term Care residence was so impressed with Rachelle.  She is now assisting a number of different clients.  Most recently she is working with a client who had a number of requests in her home and we would go to her Chemo appointments with the client. Rachelle has been a great addition to the Home Instead Team. She is a grandmother of 3 and has a dog names Molly. 

Toyin has been working with Home Instead since July 2023.  During that time, she has been working with one client.  Toyin has become a very important person to this client.  The family has started to treat them as their own.  Toyin has four children and in her spare time she like to cook and clean. 

Deborah has been working with us for the past 2 years.  She has developed the most wonderful relationship with her clients.  She has been working with her current client for the past one and half years.  During her down time Deborah spends time with her children. Her client and client’s family are so very happy with Deborah.

Our caregiver of the month for October is Bernadette Meso! Bernadette has been with home instead for 5 months now. She is a ball of energy, and lights up any room she is in. She has recently been seeing a new client for the past 2 weeks and they think she is wonderful and said she is always happy and joyful during her shifts, and she makes her clients feel the same way. Bernadette is very helpful and always loves to lend a helping hand!

Hannah has been a CAREGiver with Home Instead since June 2023. In this short period, Hannah has shown to us that she is a reliable and trustworthy CAREGiver. Hannah is always communicating with the office and helping the Service Coordinators out by picking up shifts when we need help last minute! Hannah always greets her clients with a smile, and they have nothing but wonderful things to say about her. Very well-deserved Caregiver of the month!

Patricia has been with Home Instead since 2021. She enjoys listening to other people’s stories and enjoys going for walks, swimming, and the gym. Patricia has experience working with end of life, dementia, cancer patients and diabetes. Patricia works with one client on a recurring basis and helps with picking up shifts here and there with some of the other clients she sees.