Testimonials

I wish to express my gratitude to Home Instead and it’s skilled and compassionate staff for the quality of care they have given to my wife. Last year my wife’s progressing dementia became unmanageable. She was sent to a local hospital emergency department but the hospital was unable to treat her. She was discharged and returned to our home. On a late Friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend and with very little notice Joan of Home Instead was able to assemble a team of caregivers to attend at our home. The caregivers provided 24 hour care, including bathing, dressing, feeding, and kept her from wandering or harming herself over the following weeks until my wife was finally admitted to a hospital. I asked one of the caregivers to stay on to complement the care provided by hospital staff. Home Instead assigned Marieta. She has assisted us for over a year and has added greatly to my wife’s quality of life. She engages with her, ensures that she gets regular walks and exercise, takes her to music and cultural events in addition to providing personal care including feeding and dressing. She gives me detailed updates when I visit and she phones me at the end of each day. Home Instead’s nursing supervisor also checks in with me on a regular basis to make certain that the quality of care continues to be first rate. Overall we are deeply grateful to Bruce and Lisa and the staff at Home Instead for all they have done for us. Sincerely,

I have been meaning to write to you for some time now but was so busy that this is the first opportunity I have to do so. My father-in-law, Francis Marston, has been offered a room at True Davidson Acres and accepted it. He has been there for a week now and seems to be adapting quite well. He is determined to make the best of it and we certainly hope he finds some kind of happiness there. He has already been busy getting acquainted with the place and seems quite interested in this new experience which may prove more interesting than living alone, with little interaction with the world apart from the two of us, in his downstairs apartment. I am really writing to thank you for the excellent services you have offered us in particularly to mention how we appreciated Robin Brown’s assistance. Robin is a really intelligent care provider who was effective and creative in her care of Dad. She made sure she kept a very close eye on him while giving him the impression he was in control of the situation. She was ever so gentle with him. We were really thankful she was there when Dad blocked the door as he fell on the floor, alone in the room. He listened to her gentle, firm orders about how to move and she was able to slide in there to open the door. We were impressed by her self-assurance and know-how in such an emergency. I hope you will transmit our most sincere thanks to her. She was just great! Yours truly,

I was delighted to hear that Mercy Nair has been nominated for “Caregiver of the Year”. Never has an individuals name more truly reflected the person than that of Mercy. For Mercy Nair is kindness and compassion personified. I have seen first hand the extraordinary care that Mercy brings to her work. Mercy was one of the care givers for the last year of my mother’s life. From the moment she arrived, my mother was devoted to Mercy and Mercy to my mother. Mercy went above and beyond the call of duty constantly but especially in the last weeks of my mother’s life. Mercy was hired to work the night shift but as it became clear that my mother did not have long to live, Mercy insisted that she stay with my mother until the end. For two weeks Mercy stayed with my mother 24 hours a day, rarely leaving my mother’s side, caring for her with the utmost patience and kindness. Not only did Mercy care for my mother, but for my brother, my dog and myself! If it hadn’t been for Mercy I can honestly say that I don’t think I would have been able to manage. Mercy has a wonderful sense of humour and an abundance of joy and a strong underlying faith that makes even the darkest hours seem bearable. Mercy is one of those rare individuals that I feel truly blessed to have known. I hope Mercy receives this award as she truly deserves to be recognized for all that she gives to others. As Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice” The quality of mercy is not strain’d, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath…we do pray for mercy, And that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.” Mercy Nair does just that. Kindest regards,

I keep meaning to call or write to say thank you, but I have been so busy making arrangements for my Dad’s funeral, putting together his obituary and a slide show for his visitation, not to mention trying to arrange some semblance of a happy Christmas for my kids, that this is the first time I have managed. I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with my Dad. When I was working with you both before my Dad got so sick, I was very happy with how professional and well organized your agency was. The communication with me was excellent and the caregivers you provided were also excellent. Brandy was a wonderful caregiver for my Dad. He liked her very much. She was gentle with him but still managed to persuade him to do necessary things that he may have been reluctant to do. She was thoughtful about his care and always looking for ways to make things better for him. She helped me with lots of things in setting up his apartment and was so kind and intelligent and pleasant to deal with. I am sending a separate note to her, also by your e-mail. Would you please pass it on to Brandy. I am sorry that I didn’t get a chance to meet Cecilia. After my Dad got so sick, Bruce was so very helpful. The way he came by on Monday and Tuesday to discuss next steps with my sister and I was a huge help to us. He talked us through the process of palliative care, anticipating our needs and suggesting things that we wouldn’t even have thought of, that would have made my Dad’s last days peaceful had he lingered longer. His approach to us was very compassionate and allowed us to feel confident that we could put the necessary care in place so as to honour my Dad’s wish not to go to hospital. The way your agency arranged so quickly on Monday to send us 24 hour care was so helpful. Yemi and Marcia were excellent. I have been recommending Home Instead to a lot of people in the last few days. I couldn’t have been happier with your work. I had hoped to use Home Instead’s care for a long time to give my Dad a comfortable life in Toronto. As it turned out, Home Instead became invaluable in helping to give my Dad a comfortable, peaceful death, on his own terms

In watching the Home Instead CAREGiver with her 70-year-old client, you’d think they had been friends forever. Together, they go to restaurants, shops and special events, and spend quality time together. By all accounts, they have a wonderful relationship. The dedicated Home Instead CAREGiver went to work, organizing the cleaning of the house and yard,. She cooked for her client and, on nice days, took her into the garden. Her client’s response: “This is the way life used to be.” She was an 84-year-old woman who spent her days in an assisted living facility, not doing much, feeling lonely. She had recently left her home and neighbourhood of 40 years and felt like she was losing her independence. The staff encouraged her to join activities, socialize and go on facility outings, but she didn’t feel like leaving her room. Her Home Instead CAREGiver provided her with the companionship she needed. My Mother happily anticipated every visit with our superb HomeInstead CAREgiver. She has become a treasured part of our support network. Thanks HomeInstead. Thanks again, Bruce for your professional support. We wish you continued success.