Diana P. is committed to caregiving excellence because to her, it is personal. Diana is a devoted family caregiver, and she is an award-winning Care Professional with Home Instead® of Itasca, Illinois. “I’ve moved back in with my mother. She became my dependent as she aged, and I am her caregiver,” Diana explained. “Even more, as a family caregiver, I babysat my nephew. Later, I adopted him because of unfortunate circumstances, and he is a great nephew.”
Given her family responsibilities, Diana landed a part-time job eight years ago with an accommodating company, Home Instead. Diana recalled putting her résumé online while searching for a second job. “Eventually,” she said, “a headhunter called me. I was set up with an interview with Home Instead and was hired.”
Diana added: “Working for Home Instead turned out to be a good fit for me. As my own circumstances continue to change, Home Instead is able to be flexible with my schedule. Working for Home Instead also opened me up to mastering a different level of skills than I had previously possessed. You learn and gain experience while you give respect and dignity to those whom you assist.”
Diana’s working history has centered on hospital settings, but not as a CNA. “During college,” she said, “I began working in food service in a hospital. After a while, I was promoted to a file-clerk position. I found a job in a different hospital in transcription assistance. Then I was promoted in administration. As the hospital began to face financial hardship, I found a job in a different administrative capacity.”
With Home Instead, Diana has thrived. In March 2025, Training Coordinator Jackie Washburn announced Diana had been selected as the Care Pro of the Month at the franchise owned by Kelly Hutchison. Among the criteria for being honored, an employee must show she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Empathy and compassion are considered for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Diana is an example of Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.”
Home Instead Staffing Manager Antoinette Barnett said: “Diana was very devoted to her longtime client, and we in the office seldom heard about their situation. As the old saying goes, ‘The squeaky wheel gets the oil,’ but Diana never had any issues. Even after Diana lost her long-term client, every subsequent client also has loved Diana. She is very respectful and enjoys what she does. Diana thanks us for the opportunity to work with our clients, and the feeling is mutual.”
Diana said she experiences a uniquely special time with each client. “Our service projects to an important and serious one-to-one responsibility in which skill and training are not gratuitous. Along with those aspects of the job, one must relate empathetically to the client and work carefully while caring. You must provide encouragement while assisting each client and help them feel like dignified human beings. Respect is learned and earned. Of course, it never hurts to laugh and bring sunshine,” Diana said.
Diana savors her role on the Care Pro team at one of the Chicago area’s outstanding Home Instead franchises, members of the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform. Overall, there are more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide. For Diana and her fellow Care Pros, touching lives impacts their souls, whether they are providing physical help such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders or personal care or if they are offering emotional support in a companionship role.
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 at homeinstead.com/home-care/usa/il/elk-grove-village/205.
