On her birthday eight months ago, Marlena Soileau applied for a position as a Care Professional with owner Greg Gomez-Mira’s award-winning Home Instead® franchise that serves south-central Houston. Marlena had a special reason for submitting the application on her uniquely special day. “It was my dream job,” she said.
Marlena does so many little things that make a client’s day special. “Among my favorite stories is that for a particular client, I love our morning walks and inside jokes. Also we play cards and other games. We go to church every first Sunday of the month,” Marlena said. “I love my career because I love helping others. It makes life easier and peaceful for clients.”
Home Instead Scheduling Coordinator Jessica Williams and her fellow staff members wholeheartedly agreed that Marlena has done wonders for her clients. “Marlena has helped a client to get out of her shell and make living for her in a facility more pleasant,” said Jessica, who announced Marlena has been honored as one of the franchise’s Care Pros of the Month. “Marlena displays Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ She has gone above and beyond the call of duty and is exceptional at her work.”
Home Instead’s mission – which has been modeled in Marlena’s daily actions – is to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families, and to pioneer greater professionalism within care work. Marlena is an example of how Home Instead created a care experience that’s based on human touch, transparency and compassion. Focusing on Home Instead’s training, processes and procedures of successful caregiving also helped Marlena achieve Care Pro of the Month status.
For Marlena, touching lives impacts her soul whether she is providing physical help or if she is offering emotional support in a companionship role. In addition to her warm empathy, Marlena helps clients with safety assurance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and transportation and errands.
Marlena’s history of family caregiving and her personal professional educational and vocational pursuits made her a perfect candidate for her Home Instead Care Pro job. “Nursing is a part of my family history. I went to Avalon Medical Career Academy to become a Medical Assistant and Certified Nursing Assistant,” explained Marlena, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, who began work as a Medical Assistant on July 11, 2008.
“I’ve been working at home and taking on health-care tasks for many years because my children were born with disabilities. I’ve also taken care of my grandmother and my mom. I really enjoyed the experience I have had while working with Home Instead.”
In addition to Houston, Marlena’s franchise serves Arcola, Bellaire, First Colony, Fresno, Greatwood, Iowa Colony, Lake Olympia, Meyer Park, Meyerland, Missouri City, Pearland, Quail Valley, Riverstone, Rosharon, Shadow Creek Ranch, Sienna Plantation, Stafford, Sugar Land, Sunnyside, Sweetwater, Thompsons and Westbury.
Franchise owner Greg’s Care Pro team is one of Texas’ outstanding Home Instead franchises, a member 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.
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.
