We live in an imperfect world. And that can include nursing homes. Yesterday's post introduced you to a professional caregiver who probably shouldn't be one. Today's post is much easier for me to write -- it's about another of Jeanne's caregivers. A CNA named Kia. Jeanne has described Kia as, "an answer to my prayers." And I have to second that opinion.
The CNAs at Hillcrest Care Center are tasked with keeping each patient comfortable. Waking the patients, helping them with personal grooming & dressing, getting them showered and cleaned up, providing their meals (if they choose not to eat in the dining room) and making sure that everyone is "okay." If someone isn't, the CNA escalates things to their Charge Nurse.
So if all CNAs do basically the same thing, how can someone like Kia stand out? Easy -- it's all about attitude. When I met Kia, she gave me her own "mission statement." She said, "I try to take care of people just like I'd want my own family taken care of." And Kia walks that talk every day. She's there for the patients that she's responsible for...and she never seems too busy to stop and help any of the other patients, who are not her resonsibility, if they are in need of something.
Kia smiles. She lights up the room, and in doing so, she lights up the lives of those patients who depend upon her.
Kia has amazing energy. She's a whirlwind of motion and activity...but she's never too busy to share a story, a joke or some news about her own two boys. Jeanne and I see Kia's family as an extension of our own family. We're looking forward to her son's graduation next month. I'm personally looking forward to trying her peach cobbler over Labor Day weekend (anticipating great cobbler should keep me smiling all summer long).
Do you notice that none of this speaks directly to Kia's "nursing skills"? It actually does -- because from my perspective, as Jeanne's advocate, I've found that the most important of all nursing skills is the ability to show compassion and to treat each patient with respect. Kia cares. And it shows. And that alone makes Jeanne incredibly lucky to have found a friend like Kia, who also happens to be her CNA.
<>The views on the trail were out of this world. The ride ened with a swim with the horses which was quite the experience. This was interesting. I feel sorry for that poor dog, hope she feels better! +|
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