Nearly 12 years ago, a Home Instead® Care Professional and Tamara Petrushina, who was working for another agency at the time, teamed up to take care of a senior by taking different days. Sadly, the case ended. The Care Pro, who worked for owner Kelly Hutchison’s Home Instead franchise, was impressed with Tamara’s skills and compassion. So, after the situation came to a close, the Care Pro called Tamara and invited her to apply with Home Instead. Tamara said, “That’s how I got my start with Home Instead in November 2011.”
Before entering professional senior care, Tamara had worked in office positions, including accounting and financial departments, in her Russian homeland. Then came a family caregiving challenge of the highest difficulty. All Tamara could do was react as each unique day arrived.
“When Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I took care of her for seven years. Without having any experience and knowing nothing about Alzheimer’s, I should have read about the disease and learned what to do. Sometimes I really did not know what was going on and how to help her. For me, it’s all different now as a professional, because I look at my clients and understand their needs. At the same time, I always remember my mom,” Tamara said.
Tamara’s first Home Instead client was Ms. J., and she had the same challenges as Tamara’s mother. When Tammy and a fellow Care Pro came to care for her, Ms. J. already was on hospice and doctors predicted she might live for only four to six months.
“My co-worker, Gherghina, was an amazing hard-working woman, and I believe our teamwork extended the client’s life for almost four years with a better quality life. The family actually had Home Instead service from 2011 until July 2018. After Ms. J. passed away, we at Home Instead took care of her husband. Of course, our Home Instead commitment to this entire dear family lasted continuously from beginning to the end,” Tamara said.
During a spring month in 2013, Tamara and Gherghina were the franchise’s Heart in Hand winners for their care of Ms. J. and her husband. The family effusively wrote:
“These remarkable women have saved Mom’s life. They provide live-in care to our parents, who are in their early 90s. Before starting care with Home Instead, Mom was rapidly getting weaker, more confused and was put on hospice. Tamara and ‘Getta’ focused on companionship to build trust and create additional emotional outlets. Since Mom was not eating and weighed about 90 pounds, Tamara and ‘Getta’ made nutritious and delicious meals an exact science. For hours, they would hand-feed Mom to make sure she got proper nutrition. They helped with exercise, bathing, outings such as shopping and church, and communicated everything to us three daughters. The result of good care is that Mom went off hospice! Their teamwork is seamless, and they became an instrumental part of the family.”
In March 2023, Tamara was honored as Home Instead of Itasca’s Care Pro of the Month. Home Instead Human Resources Manager Alina Merrill said: “Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Tamara consistently embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ She is someone who is exceptional at her work with any client.”
Nothing has changed for Tamara since she joined Home Instead in 2011. She quickly bonds with her clients and treats them as if they were family members. “I remember all of my clients. Because they’re from another generation, their experiences are different from my own and are fascinating to me. I have learned from their cultures, histories, relationships and languages,” Tamara said.
“No matter what agency it is or if it is private duty, people who find they aren’t cut out for the caregiving job experience, they are gone quickly. Those who stay and feel fulfilled, they are sometimes tied to this job many years. It is like a mission. It is for me.”
Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (847) 690-9825 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
