Corey Smith: Caregiver Ambassador of the Month for July
Corey Smith of the Senior Home Companions Central Indiana office has been a caregiver companion for eight months, and has a true passion for caregiving and working with seniors specifically. We are proud to call him our July Caregiver Ambassador of the Month.
Company values are exemplified by Corey Smith
Corey was nominated by Stephanie Bower, who said, “Corey models values of integrity to our consumers every day, by arriving on time ready to work, compassion as he engages with families, actively listening to each person he encounters, and effectiveness as he completes every shift having checked off each item on the care plan. Corey arrives at a family's door prepared, actively engages while working, and leaves for the day having carried out job tasks with effectiveness.”
When asked what it meant to be nominated and ultimately win the honor of Caregiver Ambassador of the Month, Corey said, “It meant everything to me. I’ve been trying since I’ve been here to do my best and the nomination felt like I’ve really been doing that.”
Corey’s passion for working with seniors
“I’ve always had a soft spot for older people, as far as I can remember back,” said Corey. Even as a child, he always found himself enjoying time spent with senior family members and friends of the family. That “soft spot” has carried through to his current Senior Home Companions clients, who continue to teach him life lessons.
“My first client, he’s not with us anymore but he touched my heart in a very special way,” Corey said. “He made me want to do this more, and push and go further. The wisdom that the clients have has taught me so much in life in general.”
Another newer client’s spouse also recently told Stephanie how Corey has truly changed the life of her husband and their family. “She stated her whole family loves Corey,” said Stephanie. “And he is so attentive to the client that his care is truly making a difference in quality of life for him and his family. Just by Corey being involved, everything has changed.”
Donating to Alzheimer’s research
When given the choice of our local partnerships to make a donation in his name, Corey selected the Alzheimer’s Association. “On a normal day-to-day basis, I’m in my right mind every second of the day,” said Corey. “And I felt like when I got around Alzheimer’s, that in a split second they can be here with you and in the next second, they can be a whole new person. I don’t know how that feels; I can make choices and decisions and they can’t, they’ll forget in a half a second. It touches me to help them remember to keep them going, because at the end of the day, it helps them and helps us.”
Corey Smith Caregiver Advice
Corey’s advice for fellow caregivers or those interested in joining the field is to remember to put your clients first. “On your way to work, regardless of what kind of day you’ve had, you’ve always got to remember that it’s not strictly about you,” he said. “Show the clients that you care and do what you can for them. Give them attention, love and respect, and I promise that you’ll get it back.”
We are so happy to have Corey working on our team, and that makes him proud to be here too. “I would like to just thank everyone here at Senior Home Companions,” he said. “I really appreciate it and it means everything to me. I’m blessed.”
If your family works with a Senior Home Companions caregiver who has provided your aging loved one with exceptional service, you can nominate them for Caregiver Ambassador of the Month too! Scroll down to find the form on our Resources page or download the PDF directly. Please email completed forms to Nicole Bieker at nbieker@shcindiana.com, or contact Human Resources for assistance at (317) 918-7168.