About Thomas

Reviewed on 1/13/2024

From February 2019 to April 2021, Thomas worked as a home health aide to my father who suffered from a degenerative neuromuscular disease called Primary Lateral Sclerosis. PLS affected his speech, swallowing and the use of his limbs, and left him essentially wheelchair bound in the last year of his life. From day one, Thomas was forthright and transparent. On the first day that Thomas started working for us, he was punctual, spoke openly about his professional experiences, furnished references so that we could speak to the other families whose loved ones he cared for, and he laid out a plan on how he would approach his care for my father. This immediately put both my family and me at ease. Thomas had a great ability to motivate and encourage my father. In the beginning of Thomas’s employment with us, my father was still able to walk with assistance. Thomas would help my father with his daily strengthening exercises and they would walk laps around the downstairs area of our house – my father with a walker and Thomas walking beside him. He would always try to help my father look at the positives, and would also tell my dad that if he wanted to do anything he would just have to put his mind to it and his body would follow. Eventually, as the disease ravaged my father’s body, it diminished his ability to move and speak and affected him cognitively. My father would sometimes lash out physically and verbally out of frustration. Thomas would deal with these outbursts always with patience, gentleness but also firmness, often discussing the incidents with my father and trying to get to the bottom of what caused the outbursts. Thomas is protective and a staunch advocate for the individuals in his care. Thomas was always generous with his time, attention and resources. He always stayed close to my father so that if he needed anything he would be able to quickly attend to him. Often times, because I was busy working, if Thomas saw something that needed to be fixed in the house (like a leaky faucet), he would offer to call his handyman or refer me to a contractor that he had used. When my father would go down for a nap, Thomas would do my father’s laundry or do some light housekeeping as well. Thomas is genteel; he always relates to others in a respectful and congenial manner. He is also completely honest and trustworthy. I would keep an envelope with cash in a drawer for Thomas to buy food or supplies for my father and he would always leave receipts so that I would know how much of that money he spent; or he would tell me that he took money from the envelope and what he spent it on. I could leave the house and know that our valuables would not be touched. And I always had peace of mind knowing that my father was safe and protected in Thomas’s care, either in or out of the house. It is for all the reasons listed above and without reservation that I highly recommend Thomas to you. He has the experience, professionalism, and integrity that would make him an outstanding caregiver for your loved one.