Chris Loves Creating Lasting Memories With Her Clients
Two-time Care Professional of the Month Chris Davis hasn’t changed her mind one iota about her job passion since she joined Home Instead® of Clearwater, Florida, in August 2019. “I feel like this is my calling,” Chris said, “and I love my job. It’s very rewarding.”
On one March night, Chris could literally inhale the sweet smell of job fulfillment.
“When I arrived at my client’s home recently, and she and her daughter were making two apple pies. I jumped right in, and they showed me how to create the masterpieces from her wonderful apple pie recipe. Of course, we had to have a piece of warm apple pie with ice cream when they were done. I love making these wonderful memories with her. The smile on her face was priceless, and her wisdom and knowledge are so appreciated!” Chris said.
Chris has assisted her client for about a year. “She is a 92-year-old Christian retired registered nurse and raised six children with her husband. She is so kind, and beautiful inside and out!” said Chris, who was honored as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month for February 2025. Her first award came in September 2021, a little over two years after Chris joined the Home Instead award-winning franchise owned by Julie Castle.
“I love helping care for my elderly clients. It comes naturally to me, and I try to be loving and understanding to their needs,” Chris said. “It makes me so happy to see smiles on their faces and know I can make a difference in their lives. If the clients are anxious or afraid, I am good at calming them and helping ease their fears.”
For Chris, senior care is a ministry and a fulfilling change from her previous job. Chris had labored in an office for most of her working years, having retired from the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) in Pennsylvania. “I was no longer happy with that type of work. I felt God was placing a calling on my heart to help the elderly or disabled. That is what I did after my husband and I had moved to Florida. He retired before we left Pennsylvania,” she said.
Chris noticed a gentle pull on her compassionate heart strings when she was in her early 20s. “I assisted an elderly neighbor in a wheelchair who had post-polio syndrome. I was asked to help put her to bed each night and get her up in the morning to get ready for her day. We were very close, and we loved each other like family. I helped her until she passed away at age 89 from cancer,” Chris recalled. “After that time, I went to work in the DPW clerical department and eventually became the clerical supervisor. It was a stressful office in which to work.”
Another gentle tug on Chris’s heart strings came one night at her church. “My pastor and I were talking about what we thought God was calling us to do. Caregiving immediately came to my mind because I’m fascinated by the elderly and the many experiences they have had throughout their lives,” Chris explained.
Again, she had a memory from which to draw when she considered senior care – Chris had served as a family caregiver for her mother. “She had been a diabetic since age 13 and had many health problems as a result,” Chris said. “I never wanted her to be in a nursing home, so my husband and I had an apartment built onto the back of the house. She had a full apartment with a separate entrance, kitchen, living room and bedroom with walk-in closet. It was everything the way that she wanted. Unfortunately, she passed away six years later at age 63 from complications of a stroke. I was very blessed to have those years living with her and having her there with my children.”
Before her first franchise honor in 2021, one of her clients treated Chris as if she were a daughter. The 95-year-old client did not have children. “I stayed with her for 24-hour shifts at a time because she could not be left alone. I would take her shopping, as well as taking her to get her hair done and nails done. She loved makeup and would sit at her vanity for hours applying makeup. She was beautiful,” Chris said.
“She loved going to Applebee’s for French onion soup. I cared for her for almost two years. She passed away at 95, and I stayed with her until she went into a hospice house. I prayed with her and was able to comfort her in her final days. It was very rewarding. I like helping others and making their lives easier so they can age happily with love and dignity.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (727) 799-1400 or visit our website.
