Growing up in a multi-generational family in Cambodia provided Sokkea “Sophia” Em with the opportunity to provide care for her grandparents at a young age, valuable experiences that Sophia has never forgotten. Those memorable learning episodes have served Sophia well as an award-winning Care Professional with Home Instead® of Collin County in Plano, Texas.
“In my native country, we all have multi-generational homes in which the children help their parents take care of their grandparents and sometimes great-grandparents. We all lived together. I helped with the care of my grandparents. Then, later, I helped take care of my father, who battled cancer for three years before he passed away in 1997 at age 49. I was just 14 or 15 years old at the time,” Sophia recalled. “I have four brothers – no sisters – and was the second-oldest child. I helped my parents with my younger siblings.”
Sophia’s mother is 76 years old and still lives in Cambodia, but Sophia’s family caregiving hasn’t ended. “I have an 81-year-old uncle who lives in McKinney, which is a 15-mile drive from my home, and I help him when I can. For example, in addition to other forms of care, I drive him to physical therapy,” said Sophia, who moved to America in 2011.
Sophia joined the Home Instead franchise owned by Chase and Taylor Crenwelge in August 2023 and was honored as the Care Pro of the Month for June 2025. Hiring Coordinator Jocelyn Mejia announced Sophia’s award and said: “Every shift, Sophia shows she lives Home Instead’s guiding principles of ‘Build Trust, Take the Lead and Share Your Heart.’ ” Sophia accommodates her clients by allowing them to call her “Sophia” because it is easier to remember than “Sokkia” that is similar sounding but with the “K” pronunciation. “Anyone can call me ‘Sophia’ because that’s how I am known to my clients,” she said with a giggle.
Before coming aboard at Home Instead, Sophia had worked as a professional private-duty caregiver in a different state. That experience led her to go online and search for home-care companies in the Plano area – she lives 10 minutes from the Home Instead office in Plano.
“After I located the franchise office, I went directly to the office and asked if they were hiring,” Sophia explained. “I like Home Instead. The office staff members are sweet. They understand we Care Professionals are hard workers, and the office tries to help us as much as possible. Communication with the staff is good. They connect with me right away if I have questions.”
She added: “I like Home Instead’s flexibility and appreciate willingness to work with me and other Care Pros so we can meet family obligations. I am able to set up shifts so I can pick up my children from school and spend Sundays with them. The Home Instead schedulers know in the summers – when there is no school – that I can start at 7 a.m. When school is on, I can work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.”
Sophia enjoys working with her three regular clients, and she misses her former clients. One of those clients passed away in January 2025 because of a longtime chronic condition. Sophia had provided care for the 85-year-old client for about 15 months. “Her daughter and son remain in contact with me, which makes me happy. Their mother, my client, was very sweet, a very good person. We always monitored her health conditions, including her blood pressure. She lived with her son and daughter-in-law. I followed their directions and helped my client with showers, medication reminders, breakfast and walks, among other things. She used a walker, and we’d walk for 10 minutes after breakfast and lunch,” Sophia said.
In general, Sophia said: “Every client is a little different or perhaps even quite unique, and I get to know them well, not only for their needs, but for their personalities. For example, one client is very quiet, an introvert. I don’t address her unless she first talks to me. With dementia, they can be quiet, talkative or somewhere between. They might be repetitive, but I listen to every word and acknowledge what they are saying. You must be flexible and stay positive, but that’s true with everyone, young or old.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (469) 916-9202 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website at homeinstead.com/home-care/usa/tx/richardson/278
