Meet Our Outstanding CAREGivers

A Tradition of Great Caregiving

At Home Instead Senior Care we employ, train and develop people to become outstanding CAREGivers. Our CAREGivers are the heart and soul of our business. Each Home Instead office recognises the exceptional care and high quality of services provided by their CAREGivers through an awards program. Each Quarter every Home Instead office selects one CAREGiver who has provided exceptional care services to be the CAREGiver of the Quarter for their office. Each office then selects one of these four quarterly CAREGivers to be nominated for the National Australian CAREGiver of the Year Award.

An independent panel of judges reviews each nomination for this prestigious award looking for a CAREGiver who has provided outstanding service and representation for Home Instead Senior Care clients. Specifically this person will have:

• Provided high quality of care services over an extended period of time;

• Given extra effort in a difficult situation;

• Accepted short notice assignments;

• Gone above and beyond to provide quality care services to their clients.

The program inspires CAREGivers to strive for excellence. It creates a sense of pride in the fact that the Home Instead Senior Care franchise network recognises, appreciates and rewards their commitment and the quality of care services that they provide to their clients.

Morna Alston, Brisbane West CAREGiver of the Year 2011

Home Instead Senior Care Toowong has awarded its CAREGiver of the Year to Jindalee’s Morna Alston. Morna is being recognised for her dedication, responsiveness, commitment and service.CAREGivers like Morna are the heart of our business and provide the support that helps older adults remain living independently. 

Morna has been a Home Instead CAREGiver for over three years and has an innate ability to turn a difficult or challenging situation into a less stressful situation. Using her great sense of humour and focusing always on the client Morna ensures the client’s self-esteem and independence is maintained. Morna really is a model CAREGiver for Home Instead and truly deserves this award.

Karyn McLennan, Brisbane West CAREGiver of the Year 2010

Karyn is the definition of a CAREGiver. She is always dependable, honest, caring and understanding. She will always give our office a call when she thinks that her clients may need a review of their services or if she is just concerned. Karyn is good at building relationships with her clients. She has also received many compliments from her clients and their families. Karyn was selected from 11 CAREGiver of the Year nominees to be the inugural Australian CAREGiver of the Year 2010.

Moira Shaw-Johnston, CAREGiver of the QTR August 2011

Moira became a Home Instead CAREGiver in early 2010. Since then she has become a valuable member of our CAREGiving team. She is always up for a challenge and takes everything in her stride. She has provided care to a number of Home Instead clients with very different and sometimes quite challenging care needs. Specifically she has assisted two ladies with end stage dementia, confidently helping them and their family members through some often very difficult situations. Moira also provided overnight care to a  lady in palliative care and currently assists a gentleman with Parkinson’s Disease. Moira  is a very confident and reliable CAREGiver who is able to assess the situation and support her clients in whatever they need her to do. She represents the true essence of a Home Instead CAREGiver. Congratulations Moira!

Lesley McConnell, CAREGiver of the QTR May 2011

Lesley McConnell has been a Home Instead CAREGiver for over 3 years. During that time she has provided in excess of 2,000 hours of care to 30 different clients. Lesley is reliable, professional, dedicated and a very warm and caring person. Her clients always come first and she is always keen to learn how she can improve her caring skills. Congratulations Lesley you are the essence of a Home Instead CAREGiver.

Relma Laverty, CAREGiver of the QTR February 2011

Relma has provided over 3,600 hours of care to 40 different clients. Very organised, Reliable, observant, very thorough and detailed in her reporting and above all very very caring. We wish to acknowledge the quality of care and professionalism that Relma has consistently provided to many clients. Congratulations Relma.

Meet the Australian CAREGiver of the Year 2011

Suzy Roberts from the Home Instead Perth Office

After being a stay at home mum for 12 years, I decided that the time was right to return to work.  I was looking for a job that was both rewarding and flexible, that would be a good fit with my family life. Fortunately, I soon realised that Home Instead Senior Care also encompassed my values.

 Growing up in NZ I had my grandparents living next door. They were always surrounded by family, love and companionship. So I must admit it came as quite a shock when I started this job. I didn’t really understand the depth of loneliness, depression and isolation some people in our community have.  I still find it hard to believe something as simple as a smile, a touch or a cup of tea together, things I have taken for granted, can make such a difference in someone’s life.

 Home Instead Senior Care has given me a wide variety of training opportunities, with the Caregiver Education Programme, interesting guest speakers and hands on help. This has assisted greatly with the varying needs of all my clients. 

 Suzy Roberts

Meet the Australian CAREGiver of the Year 2010

Karyn McLennan from the Home Instead Brisbane West Office

Extract of Karyn's acceptance speech:

"Coming from a large & loving family honesty, compassion, understanding, respect & trust are all values that were an integral part of my growing up; they are also qualities that make up the essence of being a good caregiver. They are qualities you use everyday when you enter a clients home.

To me being a Home Instead CAREGiver is a labour of love. It is a unique job with many joys & rewards. The work is so diverse & each day is filled with different challenges both physical & emotional but also filled with immense satisfaction. Where else can you work where you are welcomed with a smile & know that you are making a difference to someone’s life. It’s also fulfilling to know that as a caregiver you are appreciated just for being you & know that being yourself is a skill in itself."

Some of the testimonials about Karyn:

“To care for an elderly person, particularly one who has special needs requires someone extra special.  We have found that in abundance in our lovely CAREGiver, Karyn.  She is very professional, caring and provides fun and laughter into our mother’s day.  For ourselves, she provides peace of mind and she is indeed a rare find”. (from client’s daughter)

“I know no more deserving carer in need of recognition than Karyn McLennan. Her gentleness, care and concern for our mother was exemplary. It must be explained that my mother had because of dementia become very with-drawn only nodding or shaking her head to express her wishes. With everyone else but Karyn. Karyn developed such a wonderful rapport with my mother through her humour and gentleness that my mother to some small extent and to my amazement would sit and chat and laugh with her. No one else has been able to do this for my mother. Karyn was usually with us overnight and because my mother had to be woken during the night I found Karyn showed such care and consideration for her that she was never unduly distressed or disturbed by this. Also my mother was not the only reciprocate of Karyn's concern. She was always interested in things to do with my day or life in general. We discovered that we had a great deal in common. My mother was always because of her graciousness the first to appreciate people and their kindness to her so I know she would add her heartfelt thanks to Karyn if she was able as I do. Karyn is simply a wonderful carer and human being and deserves greatly any acclaim given to her as such. Thank God for people like Karyn.” (from client’s daughters).

“I write concerning my CAREGiver Karyn McLennan, who has given me such understanding and aid that bolsters up my age and somewhat lonely life both materially and emotionally. It is a gift which comes naturally to Karyn. She is of course impeccable in all the household duties: including the preparation of healthy meals (imaginative and delicious). She is also my wheels as I no longer drive. She comes with me to doctors appointments, where her presence is welcome; and she watches over my taking of medications. Karyn also finds solutions in times of stress. We have an abiding friendship (for 4 years) of her loving care and my appreciation. Karyn is my angel as I often tell her. (from her client)