Senior Caregivers: The Unsung Heroes of Senior Living

Angels Among Us: Healthcare Heroes

This “Aging with Grace” article was written by Jennifer Sanders and published in the Catholic Advance, The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Wichita.

In thinking about all the facets of senior living, and all the topics I’ve written about so far, I’ve noticed a certain theme.  While I’ve shared a lot about what to expect, and how to get there once you make the decision to join a community…what about the people in the trenches providing care at all these different levels of living? These are the true heroes of senior living, the angels walking among us.  

Senior Caregivers Hold Passion, Dedication, and Pride in Their Work

Recently I was at a conference for senior living professionals, and as I watched people milling around between sessions, visiting the vendor booths, and catching up with colleagues they hadn’t seen in a while, I noticed something else: the way they dropped everything the moment a call came to their cell phone from their community, the way their eyes sparkled as they spoke passionately about their teams and the residents they serve, and the way they proudly announced the names of the communities they were representing. These people, and thousands more like them, have made their life’s mission serving seniors and their families. They didn’t choose these careers because of fame, fortune, or notoriety; they were called to serve because something in them was meant to bring peace and joy to those in need of care.

I’ve witnessed the gift of dedicated caregivers in our work at Catholic Care Center. I’m amazed every day at the sacrifice and love our team, especially those front line workers, show for the residents. We have a tradition at Catholic Care where we process out with our residents whose lives on earth have ended, we stand and pray with their families before walking them out. So often in these moments you will see associates visibly moved with emotion at the passing of someone they truly loved caring for. The families of these residents are embracing our staff, sharing in their grief, and thanking them for their care.

Their thanks is of course appreciated, that’s not why caregivers do the miraculous work that they do. It’s not for the praise but because of who they are at their very core.

And yet so many times in healthcare settings, praise and simple “thank yous” go unsaid. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more common for healthcare workers to bear the brunt of some undeserved frustration and volatility, even violence in extreme cases. We treat so poorly the people who do so much! These are the people we look to care for our most vulnerable, the people who mean the most to us in the world, and to do work that few others would be willing or able to do. 

I think it’s safe to say that not a lot of people daydream about growing up to provide the type of care that a nurse aide does repeatedly throughout the day. I remember as a child, my own mother would start to get queasy and have to step out of the room if one of us kids was getting sick because she simply has a weak stomach and can’t tolerate seeing or hearing other people vomiting. Now imagine a nurse aide on the oncology floor at the hospital who has patients multiple times every day nauseated because of their treatment, and each time this aide holds the basin, wipes their mouth, and refreshes them with a cool washcloth or sip of water. How on earth could anyone have a cross word to say to that person, or to the person who holds the hand of a dying resident who doesn’t have family to sit with them in their final moments?

It’s unimaginable, most likely as you read this article, and yet a few years ago, there was a need to create signs to display throughout our ministry reminding visitors that this is a healing ministry, offensive language and aggressive behavior towards our staff will not be tolerated. 

If you only ever take away one thing from this column, I hope it’s this: the men and women who choose to earn a living working in healthcare are human beings. They are people caring for other people, and because we humans are not perfect, we aren’t always perfect in our service to others, but it’s certainly not for lack of trying. Those that choose these frontline healthcare professions, whether in a community like ours or a hospital, have a heart to serve those they are blessed to care for, and they are doing their best. We would all be well advised to remember how difficult a task they have undertaken and be kind, be encouraging, and sincerely thank them for their service. No gesture of appreciation is ever too small. I’ve seen our staff when they receive a handwritten note acknowledging the care they provided to a resident, and the simple knowledge that someone recognized and appreciated their efforts enough to put pen to paper moved them to tears.  We cannot take our caregivers for granted, because they are truly the heroes of healthcare! 

Senior Caregivers at Catholic Care Center: Our Very Own Angels

Our senior caregivers in Wichita, KS have helped us provide award-winning senior care services in a variety of areas including a behavioral health clinic, assisted living, memory and dementia care, skilled nursing, long-term care, and more. Without their compassionate care, Catholic Care Center wouldn’t be the vibrant senior living community it is. Thank you to our very own Healthcare Heroes at Catholic Care Center!