Johnnie Mae Foster just wouldn’t leave her care client’s side that sobering day in January 2014. Johnnie Mae stayed with Miss Early from home to emergency room and back home. As a professional caregiver with Right at Home in Rome, Ga., Johnnie Mae has seen her share of gravely ill clients, but Miss Early was more than a client. Miss Early and Johnnie Mae were friends — sisters bonding over long chats as Johnnie Mae assisted Miss Early with bathing, dressing, meals and anything else Miss Early needed to stay comfortable living in her own home.

“Even though they came from different worlds, Johnnie Mae always found a way to engage my mother in conversation (often difficult with a dementia patient),” Jean Early said, fondly remembering the friendship between her mother and Johnnie Mae. The day Miss Early fell ill for the last time, Johnnie Mae held strong for her dear client and family.

“When the doctor told us there was nothing to be done and allowed us to take Mom home, Johnnie Mae came home with us,” Jean explained. “She sat with me by my mother’s bedside, talking with me and talking to my mother, until my mother passed.” Johnnie Mae remained with Jean and her husband hours later, sharing comfort and support in their painful loss. After the funeral home removed Miss Early’s body, Johnnie Mae calmly turned to Jean and shared, “I can leave now. I told your mom I would never leave her, and I didn’t.”

An untiring dedication to serving others is what makes Johnnie Mae one of America’s top in-home caregivers. For her outstanding care of seniors and adults with disabilities, Johnnie Mae is one of five Right at Home caregivers recognized with a 2018 Caregiver of the Year award (four Region winners and one National winner). As the Southeast Region winner, Johnnie Mae earned the prestigious award for selflessly delivering extraordinary care and was among 156 nominees from Right at Home’s thousands of employees nationwide.

“Earning one of the Caregiver of the Year awards is a remarkable honor,” said Dr. Michelle Rankine, Owner – Western Collin and Southern Denton Counties. “Caregivers are nominated and judged based on the criteria of character, client impact, brand ambassadorship, team spirit and professional development. Our Right at Home franchises across the country and around the world are proud to serve with commendable caregivers and office staff members who inspire each other to excellence every day.”

Members of Right at Home’s Franchise Advisory Council selected the 2018 finalists, and an independent judging committee selected the winners based on nomination criteria and testimonials from clients and loved ones. The national winner will be announced in May. The other Region winners are Edris Plummer of Hicksville, N.Y. (Northeast); Jacquelyn Crenshaw-Young of Dallas, Texas (Central); and Vickie Moore of Reno, Nev. (West).

Top Qualities to Seek in a Caregiver

When you’re considering at-home care for a loved one, you want professional caregivers who are thoroughly trained and experienced, but Rankine notes there are a number of valued characteristics that go beyond job descriptions. What is the caregiver’s personality and temperament? How does the caregiver connect with care clients? Is he or she dependable and steady at working well with others? To provide the best care and assistance, Rankine recommends looking for the following exemplary qualities in a caregiver.

Outstanding Character

A person’s character is often a blend of their disposition, tone and style. For caregivers, character is modeled through compassion, understanding, sensitivity and caring. Edris Plummer emulates these traits and more in her work with Sandy and Phil Quartuccio, owners of Right at Home of North Shore Long Island, N.Y. One of Edris’ clients is a 98-year-old woman who has no family. This past year, Edris stayed alongside her frail client during several hospitalizations. When the woman’s heat went out at home for quite some time, Edris provided extra blankets to keep the senior warm. It’s no wonder Edris has been described as “honest, reliable, trustworthy, very thoughtful, competent and professional.”

Connects Well With People

It is hard to trust a caregiver who is impersonal or mechanical in caring for your loved one. No one appreciates a caregiver who comes across as bossy or uninterested in the client’s preferences and feelings. When a caregiver creates a winsome connection with clients and their families, everyone benefits. Vickie Moore with Right at Home in Reno is known for creating a meaningful influence among her care clients and their families.

Dawn, a client’s daughter, applauds Vickie’s impact on her somewhat disagreeable father. “Vickie has been wonderful to my dad,” Dawn said in nominating Vickie for Caregiver of the Year. “He is a very difficult person to work with, and she is just so loving. My dad can’t stop talking about how great a job she does and how she takes extra time to make sure he is well cared for.”

Community Influencer

Caregivers who are passionate about their work naturally share their enthusiasm with others in the community. They volunteer to serve meals to the homeless or rebuild homes after disasters. Or they just sit a spell with a troubled neighbor. Johnnie Mae’s love of helping others has become well-known around northwest Georgia. Even with the needs of her large family, Johnnie Mae insists on finding time for the little extra things — her fresh-baked cakes and cookies are always a hit with her clients and their families and, of course, her teammates.

Right at Home owner Jay DeVille shares his praise of award-winning Johnnie Mae. “When we raise funds for the Parkinson’s Walk, Johnnie Mae’s brownies are a key part,” he explained. “When we gather socks and gloves for the annual Sheriff’s Santa for Seniors fundraiser, she is always a helper.”

Strong Team Spirit

Everyone needs someone to cheer them on, especially when dutifully caring for a person’s well-being. Jacquelyn Crenshaw-Young has been a hearty morale booster among her peers for more than 27 years. Jackie’s breadth of experience working in skilled nursing centers, intensive care units and memory care facilities, as well as with home care clients, has helped earn her top accolades.

“No matter the hour or time of day, or how busy her schedule may already be, Jackie has always made it her mission to put others before herself,” said Harley Cohen, owner of Right at Home of North Dallas.

Pursues Professional Development

A thirst for increasing one’s skills is nothing new to exceptional caregivers like Vickie, who gains insights into delivering care through certification courses, continuing education classes and online training modules. Vickie also invests her time researching clients’ particular illnesses and medical needs. Recently, Vickie took on a new client who has Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a rare form of cerebral palsy.

Mark Wimbush, owner of the Right at Home office in Reno, notes Vickie’s passion for improving her professional knowledge with this new client. “Vickie came to the office the day before her shift with a big stack of papers about FA that she downloaded from the internet and wanted to share with the other caregivers on the case,” Mark said. A quest for developing professionally is contagious.

As Johnnie Mae, Edris, Jackie and Vickie demonstrate, a comforting demeanor, likeable rapport and a love for learning are what top-rated caregivers bring to the team and to their individual clients and their families. And being one of the most remarkable caregivers in the world means extending kindness like providing extra blankets when the heat goes out or staying at a client’s side until this life is finished.

For Information, Contact: Dr. Michelle Rankine, Owner Michelle@Rahdfw.Com (214) 856-2663