Focus Care of Linden’s Nursing Week

Focus Care of Linden hosted a Nursing Week celebration event to show appreciation for Certified Nursing Aids on Thursday, the 22 of June. The hosting party presented a salad bar, a lunch that consisted of baked potatoes, dessert, and gifts for the present Certified Nursing Aids that attended.

On June 22 at 2:30 p.m., the Administrative Staff at the Focus Care of Linden Nursing Home Center hosted an event to show their appreciation and gratitude for their Certified Nursing Aids and as a way to round off the celebration for National CNA Week. The celebration included CNA’s form Heritage, Hospice, and Focus Care of Linden. They collaborated with the CNA’s and decided to present a salad bar and a lunch of their choosing, which was decided to be baked potatoes, as well as desserts such as cookies and cupcakes. The Administrative Staff also made gift baskets to give out to the CNA’s as an additional way to show their thanks.

Many of the Staff were very open about their compliments and thanks towards the CNA’s, letting them know how much they were valued. “These CNA’s are amazing,” said one Staff member. “Every day I come in here, almost every day, and I see them take ultimate care. They are underrated from day one, and they are amazing.”

Another staff member, Terry Coe, commented by saying that, “They are the backbone of the building. They have more hands on, one - on - one with the residents than any of us do. They handle hygiene, personal care, family members, help with medications, baths, dressing, anything and everything. It takes a special person to work in this kind of environment. It takes not sympathy, but empathy. You have to have a certain type of empathy to succeed. And we’re proud of our Staff.”

CNA worker, Elaine, who has been with Focus Care of Linden for nearly two years and was certified through her jobs around a year ago, was pointed out by Staff to be especially amazing at her job. Elaine commented and said that her favorite part of her job is “being able to take care of the residents, and making sure that their needs and wants are satisfied, and to just assist them.”

Another CNA worker stated, “It takes a special heart to do what we do. I can’t say it’s all for a paycheck, because I’ve got 33 years in it, so it runs a bit deeper than just coming up here for a paycheck. You’ve got to have a heart, you’ve got to have compassion, and you’ve got to have patience.”

The Director of Nurses, Raven, also pointed out by staff for being outstanding at her job was present during the celebratory event. She says that she enjoys her job, because “ I just love taking care of people, and residents, and staff.”

CNA worker of 44 years, Margret Kelly, has been working at Focus Care in Linden for the majority of her career, as well as Heritage Nursing home for the past ten years.

Kelly says her favorite part of her job would be, “Just caring and loving on the patients, and just making sure that the day I leave, that my patients are spotless. That they know that I’ve been in that room and that you can tell when hospice has come through. Just taking care of the patients is all.”