The residents are our family, too

I had a great day today. I hired someone with lots of experience and I got caught up on tons of office stuff. Now, I am sitting here in room 4 with someone who I love so deeply. She is actively passing, however, her family is not coming here to be with her.

I was scheduled to leave at 5 p.m. today, but I cannot leave her alone. I don’t want that for anyone. She is family—we are her family. Today, we are all that she has. When I came to see her today, one of my team members took the initiative to put on calming music in her room. All I could do was cry—cry in pure happiness because I was so thankful for my team member for caring so much, for going the extra mile. Those are the people I want on my team.

As I sit in this room with a resident I hold dear, I am also reminiscing about the fun, crazy, serious yet hilarious times that she has shared with us and it makes me smile. I called her son and assured him that she is being well taken care of and to see if he needed anything—even if just someone to talk to. He was very thankful for the call and for the offer.

What I do here isn’t just a job for me; I put my whole love and life into providing the best possible care for my residents to make sure they live their best life. To me, they aren’t just residents—they are my family, too. Thank you for letting me make a difference in their lives and thank you for letting me love them.