Heart to Heart

As a thirty-year veteran in the long-term care industry, Sally at Parkview Care Center in Fremont, OH knows a thing or two about being a nurse. Sally began her career years ago when she started helping the elderly in her neighborhood. She was around her grandparents a lot and learned quickly that she really enjoyed their company and what she could learn from them. She then decided to go to nursing school and soon after became an RN.

Even though Sally has been working for many years, she still cannot imagine herself doing anything else. She said, “I enjoy my job. I feel that I’m needed, and nursing has always been a part of my life”. She is motivated by the friends, residents and everyone that she would miss if she were not at work each day. Even when Sally takes a day off from work, she finds that she truly misses it. It’s her passion, and what she was born to do.

The residents are the main reason that Sally comes to work every day. She gets to know each resident on a very deep level. She talks to them about family, their problems, personal issues, their medications, everything. And no matter what the issue is, she makes a point to stay positive and keep her residents feeling optimistic about life. She said “they’re so susceptible, so you have to stay positive for them.” Sally takes pride in knowing that she can help someone just by spending a few minutes talking with him or her.

It’s not hard to imagine that with the special relationships Sally builds with her residents, that she has many who have impacted her over the years. When asked about a specific resident who has touched her life, Sally said “I can’t name just one, there are a lot of them. Even after they pass away…I still talk about them.” It’s Sally’s compassion for people that connects her to her residents and makes their bond so unique.

Sally isn’t just close to her residents though. She is equally as connected to her colleagues and everyone that she works with. Sally considers everyone on her team to be her good friend. When Sally received a call at work that her grandson was born, all of Sally’s co-workers were there to congratulate her. She said, “They make you feel like it’s home. It’s nice. It’s a smaller center and I think that smaller is better.”

Although Sally believes that all of our Core Values are truly important, she believes that compassion and honesty is key. She said, “You just have to have it. You just figure, if this was your father or your grandmother here, wouldn’t you want them to be treated with compassion, empathy, and kindness?” We couldn’t agree with her more. It’s this mentality that makes Sally such a wonderful caregiver.

Sally has brought years of compassionate care to our residents and we hope that she can continue to do that for many more years. When we asked Sally what her plans for the future are she said, “I’m not a planner. I live day by day. There are always surprises, but I wouldn’t want to leave here.” We wouldn’t want her to either. Sally thank you so much for your heart, passion, and for what you do each day!