Not your typical maintenance man

There is a very special team member at Siemon’s Heritage Personal Care Center in Somerset, PA. Stacey Albright, who handles maintenance, completes his work in a way that exceeds all expectations. He doesn’t just fix things, he embodies all of Consulate Health Care’s core values while he does his work.

Albright loves to see his residents happy. He also enjoys the variety of work provided by his job. Albright gave an example of a time when he compassionately used some creativity to assist a patient who had compromised vision. Albright was working on maintenance in the patient’s room, when he realized that the patient couldn’t read her calendar. Albright used a Sharpie pen to make the numbers and words on the calendar large and bold enough for her to read. She was so happy with the improved calendar, that she talked about it for several weeks. Albright enjoys the feeling of making a big difference, even with a small gesture.

A story that illustrates his passion for helping people grew from a friendship Albright had with a resident. Before clocking in for his work, Albright regularly chatted with the resident. This man told Albright how much he loved gardening. Albright offered to build a raised garden bed outside the care center that would be accessible to the residents. After getting approval from the executive director and the resident council, Albright built the raised bed, and it has been enjoyed by several residents since being built.

Albright gleans wisdom from his residents too. One patient told him, “Enjoy the little moments, they are actually the big moments.” That comment really resonated with Albright, who has three children, all under seven years old.

Covid has added a new dimension to Albright’s work. According to Lisa Sivec, the executive director at the care center, “He spends hours every day cleaning, disinfecting and spraying our facility to prevent COVID.” Albright explained how wearing a N95 mask, face shield, and gown gets hot and uncomfortable during a full shift. It’s not only the physical discomfort with the PPE that is unpleasant. Albright compassionately mentioned that it is difficult to witness the residents who are so desperate to see their family members face-to-face. Stacey Albright looks forward to the day when the pandemic is over. Until then, we know that he will continue to exceed expectations in his maintenance role.