Generations of Care

Whispering Hills Care Center in Mount Vernon, OH, has had the privilege of employing generations of amazing nurses. Pepper, who currently works at the care center and has been there since the early 80s, is one of four in her family to work there. Pepper’s interest began as a child when the influence of her three aunts who were nurses at Whispering Hills kept her visiting the care center. When Pepper was certified and old enough to begin working there herself, she became a nursing assistant and applied for a job.

Thirty years later, Pepper is still a nursing assistant and is carrying on the family tradition as a caregiver. Although there have been several residents and co-workers who have had an impact on Pepper’s work, her greatest influence was her aunt Patty. She taught Pepper the basics at a young age and was an enormous part of Pepper’s  interest in healthcare. All of this was a tremendous advantage to Pepper as she entered her career and could easily focus on the important aspects of her work.

We asked Pepper what motivates her to come to work each day after so many years of working there. She said “Knowing that I did a good job when I go home, that everyone was happy, and that I was able to get everything done that day.” She also loves the atmosphere at Whispering Hills. Everyone is 100% focused on what the needs and wants of the residents are. The nurses truly work as a team, and everyone jumps in to get the job done.

Because Pepper has been at the care center for so long, she is considered the team lead. When new employees come in, Pepper works with them to train them and make sure that they have the knowledge and skills to care for the patients and residents. Because Pepper is so thorough and knowledgeable, it’s rare that she finds an employee who needs her help after their training. Nurses and nursing assistants find that they have the tools they need to succeed after working with Pepper.

Pepper is so great at working with others and training them to do their best because of her belief in doing what is right. We asked Pepper what Core Value she identifies with the most, and she said “Honesty. You have to be honest. You just can’t get through this without being honest.” Over the years, Pepper has been recognized mostly for her compassion and passion, but she truly believes that honesty is the most important. If she weren’t so passionate about her residents, she wouldn’t be so honest in her work.

Pepper has had a long and prosperous career at Whispering Hills, but she has no intention of leaving anytime soon. In fact, she has no desire to even change her role. She has found her calling and wants to continue to provide the best care that she can to the residents. Many of her residents have been, and still are family, friends and relatives. Pepper has found her home and doesn’t see herself leaving.  Thank you Pepper for your honesty, hard work, and passion for our residents. Keep up the good work!