The timing was perfect for Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Connie Fontenette and her comforting personality to walk through her client’s door for the first time. Or you also could give credit to Home Instead Schedule Coordinator Jessica Williams for choosing to send Connie to her client for what turned out to be an ideal caregiving match.
Jessica said: “Connie has really created some consistency on her case. She’s very helpful to the family and always reports any issues with the office promptly.”
Home Instead Human Resources Manager Margi Kenny said: “Talk about a sweetie! Connie is very calming with her demeanor in working with our clients. She is a Care Pro who accepts assignments and never lets anyone down. She does not miss work, she is punctual and everyone can rely on her. She is kind and caring and, as Jessica said, she helped bring consistency and calmness to a case that was going through staffing issues.”
Connie is no newcomer to professional senior care, and that’s why her wisdom, skills and experience have carried the day – or night – with her Home Instead clients. “I’ve been a CNA since 1989, and I have worked for home-health agencies, hospitals, nursing homes, an assisted living facility as an activity assistant and as a private-duty caregiver,” Connie explained. “I also worked for the Leesville Developmental Center in Leesville, Louisiana, as a resident trainer supervisor. The organization helps those who are developmentally disabled.”
A year and a half ago, Connie found owner Greg Gomez-Mira’s award-winning Home Instead® franchise on Indeed.com after moving from her native Louisiana to Texas. Greg’s Home Instead franchise serves southwest Houston, including Bellaire, Missouri City, Pearland, Sugar Land and 18 other communities. Greg has owned his highly acclaimed franchise since 2013.
As a family caregiver, Connie has never taken care of a parent or grandparent, but she did take care of her sister for about 10 months. Connie recalled: “It was hard to assist someone who previously had helped me. My sister was my go-to person, and now I felt as if it was my turn to help her. It was hard to take care of her. She had to go to rehabilitation to try to walk again.”
Referring to Home Instead, Connie said: “I enjoy my job, and getting to meet new people and hearing about how they have passed life’s tests and the lessons they have learned from experiencing their challenges. My most memorable days with clients occur when they talk about how they fell in love with their spouses. At that moment, their faces light up. It gives you a warm feeling. I also enjoy conversations when they talk about how things today are so different than when they were younger. Their words give me a lot of perspective.”
Connie loves being a part of Greg’s Care Pro team at the Houston franchise, a member of a network comprised of Home Instead, Inc. and its parent company, Honor. With the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform, Honor and Home Instead are revolutionizing care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (713) 774-2215 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
