CAREGiver of the Month Lanetheia “Nene” Haynes wistfully remembers crisscrossing south-central Texas with a Home Instead® client before COVID-19 appeared two years ago. During a week, Nene and her client might visit as many as three cities.
“Prior to the pandemic, we would get her hair done on Wednesdays in Nordheim, get her nails done in Cuero, then eat at La Bella Tavola in Gonzales. It was a long day, but a fun day for sure,” Nene said with her trademark grin.
“The client would always say that the longest part was driving back to Yorktown. I had to smile, because I’m not sure she was ready to go home quite yet at the end of a shift. That is something I can understand, because what I like most about my job as a CAREGiver is the fact I can get them out of their houses to do activities other than going to medical appointments. As the pandemic stretches into its third year, getting out is a little easier with such things as vaccinations and lowering infection rates. We still take all the precautions that are needed.”
With her travel-happy client, Nene recalled: “Our longest trip was when I drove 2½ hours to take her to Jarrell, just north of Austin, to meet her son during the holidays. She told me she appreciated me because I was ‘the only one who could put up with taking her places.’ It made me feel good to know she always looked forward to my arrival to help her on a daily basis.”
While Nene had a client who loved to be on the move, Nene herself has continued on a busy career journey that has included college classes during her successful three-year tenure with Home Instead of Victoria, an award-winning franchise owned by Pietro Jordao and Dillon Rice.
“I decided I wanted to be a Home Instead CAREGiver because I enjoy helping people when they need it the most. Before Home Instead, I worked at a school for special-needs children. It became difficult to work with kids with multiple disabilities, then go home to do my schoolwork. I wanted a job that was a little less demanding but a job that still fulfilled my love for helping people, so I felt as if Home Instead was the right place for me,” said Nene, who found Home Instead on Indeed.com.
Since coming to Home Instead, Nene has attained an Associate of Arts degree, and she has two semesters left before she earns her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Houston-Victoria.
Referring to her Home Instead CAREGiver position, Nene said: “I have mainly taken care of ‘grandmothers’ and ‘grandfathers.’ I love working with them because I can see they enjoy telling me stories about their kids and grandchildren. As they are telling stories about their families, I can see their faces light up brightly, which lets me know I am doing my job by raising their spirits even of it is just for that moment.”
In addition to her strong companionship skills, Nene provides safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands. Nene offers personal assistance with eating, grooming, dressing, bathing, incontinence care, cognitive impairment, hospice support and mobility. By expertly doing so, Nene and her fellow Victoria CAREGivers not only assist their clients, but help their families eliminate worry, reduce stress and re-establish personal freedom.
Among the considerations for achieving CAREGiver of the Month status, an employee has shown he or she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Nene embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” Nene is someone who is exceptional at her work with any client, Recruiting and Retention Coordinator Maegan Coldewey pointed out.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (361) 433-0330 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
