Momentum for a successful professional senior-care career began to build years ago for Marisleidy Valdes Espinosa when her huge, compassionate heart wouldn’t allow any family member to suffer or go without needed attention. “At home,” she recalled, “I was the family caregiver, caring for every family member when he or she got sick. Also, I naturally liked to care for elders in my family, specifically my grandmother and uncles.”
Marisleidy took the next step seven years ago. “I started working as a caregiving professional in 2017, caring for a person with a walking disability for two years as a private-duty caregiver,” she said. “Then, I continued studying toward earning a Certified Nursing Assistant license at Houston Community College.”
That is where Marisleidy became acquainted with owner Greg Gomez-Mira’s award-winning Home Instead® franchise that serves nearly 20 Texas communities in south-central Houston, including Bellaire, Fresno, Missouri City, Pearland, Stafford and Sugar Land.
“I learned about Home Instead during the course of taking those CNA classes at Houston Community College. I was looking for a job to practice my CNA skills, and my professor suggested that I apply for a Home Instead Care Professional job. As a result, I have been a Home Instead Care Pro for a year and nine months. I also have been working at a care community.”
Marisleidy added: “What I like the most about my job with Home Instead is the scheduling flexibility, because it allows me to continue to go to school and also work with seniors in my free time. That is my passion.”
Home Instead Scheduling Coordinator Jessica Williams said she and staff members immediately noticed Marisleidy’s passion for one-on-one senior care.
“Marisleidy helped save a case where the client’s family was starting to get frustrated,” Jessica explained. “They had encountered challenges because of caregiving turnover that led to continuity of care problems. For us at Home Instead, Marisleidy came right into the situation and brightened everything like a ray of sunshine. Her work with the client and the client’s family was among the factors that led us to honor Marisleidy as our Care Pro of the Month.”
To achieve the Care Pro of the Month status, an employee has shown she has gone above and beyond the call of duty, Jessica pointed out. Empathy and compassion are taken into account for the award, as well as skill and wisdom for dealing with challenging situations. Marisleidy embodies Home Instead’s guiding principles of “Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.” While Marisleidy is a licensed CNA, her focus on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving helped her achieve the award.
Marisleidy credits her community college classes and Home Instead training for increasing her base of knowledge, and she also loves to learn from her clients, who are “interactive history books with all kinds of knowledge and wisdom.”
Marisleidy said: “I have very good stories about a client who was a Texas basketball champion. He inspired me to never give up on my dreams despite life’s circumstances. He was like a father to me because every day he taught me something new, such as cooking, workouts, English speaking and how to improve in my profession. He also told me about his movie. He will always be my favorite client.”
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.
