Recognition

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90-Year-old volunteer honored as Utah’s Salute to Senior Service winner
A 90-year-old Washington woman has been honored as the Utah winner of the Home Instead Senior Care® network’s Salute to Senior Service award. Essie Lempens is being recognized for her dedicated community service, including her work at Porters Rest Home, St. George Care Center, Kolob Care and Rehab Center and Peach Tree and the Meadows.
The Salute to Senior Service program was launched this year by the Home Instead Senior Care network to honor seniors’ commitments to their causes and communities. As one of 50 state winners, Lempens earned a spot in the Salute to Senior Service Wall of Fame on the SalutetoSeniorService.com website where her nomination story also has been posted.
One nominator wrote, “For more than 40 years, Essie has played piano, guitar, accordion, harmonica, ukulele and other instruments for her elderly audiences.” She still plays by ear, dedicating 15 hours per month to her delighted listeners.
“Essie is a valued member of the community and a senior hero to many,” said President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Huber of Home Instead, Inc. “She has shown that volunteer opportunities for older adults should not diminish because of age. Seniors such as Essie are making important contributions to their communities through charities, nonprofit organizations and faith communities.”
As a state winner, Lempens was considered for the national Salute to Senior Service award. The national award was presented to Clark Paradise of Lakewood, N.J., who was honored for his work with Your Grandmother’s Cupboard, a nonprofit organization he and his wife founded to meet the needs of the thousands of homeless families throughout New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania. A $5,000 gift will be donated by Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network, to Paradise’s nonprofit charity of choice.
For more information about the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service program, visit SalutetoSeniorService.com.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 950 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. In addition, CAREGivers are trained in the network’s groundbreaking Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and EducationSM Program to work with seniors who suffer from these conditions. This world class curriculum also is available free to family caregivers online or through local Home Instead Senior Care offices. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while continuing to provide superior quality service that enhances the lives of seniors everywhere.