November 2021 CAREGiver of the Month - Tess Perez
We are pleased to announce Tess Perez as the second recipient of Home Instead Markham’s CAREGiver of the Month Award for November 2021.
Tess has been an employee of our office since October of 2020 and was part of the first group of CAREGivers that we onboarded. She was born and raised in the Philippines and emigrated to Canada back in 1996 after 8 years of living in Hong Kong. Trained in industrial engineering, she held various positions in the engineering field before being laid off in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this point Tess was unsure what was next, but she knew she had more to give back to the community, which ultimately brought her into working as a caregiver for seniors.
Tess is a very caring person whose attention to detail is unmatched. No matter what she is doing or what the task at hand is, she always goes above and beyond. Tess has always loved trying new things, meeting new people, and just offering assistance to whoever needs it. Those characteristics made caregiving a natural fit for her. What she enjoys most about working for Home Instead is the fulfillment she feels when the client and/or their loved one is happy with her care. She has also loved being able to learn new skills and gain knowledge as it relates to caring for seniors. She feels that working at Home Instead is the best place to showcase the gifts and abilities that God has given her (and we would have to agree).
About a month and half after Tess joined Home Instead Markham, we matched her up with one of our first clients who was recently diagnosed with dementia and needed some companionship throughout her days. While this was a new experience for both Tess and our client, Tess tackled this challenge head on. After only a few months of Tess working with the client, they formed the exact type of relationship that we strive for between our CAREGivers and clients. They became extremely close, almost like family, and did everything together. From cooking meals, going shopping, taking trips around the community, organizing the house, watching TV, and just chatting about life, they did it all. In what was a difficult and confusing time for this senior (and her family) Tess was able to make such a positive impact in their lives. She has since brought this same approach to any other client she has worked with.
Tess brings such positive energy to Home Instead. She is enthusiastic about her work every single day. She is extremely keen, for instance she arrives early for all her shifts and provides very detailed updates on her clients. We are so lucky to have met Tess and have her on our team. Thanks for all that you do Tess and congratulations on this well deserved award!
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (905) 604-4223 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
