| Recipient: | Marie Coleman, CHHA, CNA |
|---|---|
| Job Title: | Home Health Aide |
| Employer: | Homeside Hospice, Clark, NJ |
| Nominated by: | Nora Bertocci |
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| Title: | Administrator |
| Employer: | Homeside Hospice, Clark, NJ |
Marie Coleman is not only an employee and co-worker, but also a friend and someone who has provided support and assistance to both my family and my friends over the years in her capacity as a home health aide.
Marie is truly one of those unique individuals that enjoy her mission in life. Many people go to work in order to secure a paycheck, and it obvious to anyone watching them work that there is no passion in their role. They are there simply because they need to work. That is not the case with Marie. She takes pride in her work, something that is often missing these days. She provides care to her patients not because it is her job to do so, but because caring for those less fortunate is her calling. She gives her all in everything she does. She provides patients with their basic needs such as bathing and feeding with love and gentleness. Giving them care is her job, giving them love and compassion is her way.
If Marie's car is not working, she will find some other way to get to her patients. Not showing up is just not an option for her. She stays beyond her assigned hours if someone needs her, on her own time, and does so with a smile. The smile I have seen on the faces of our patients and their families when Marie arrives makes my day brighter. She always accepts any assignment, no matter how far from home or what the hours are, and treats each and every one of her patients with respect.
As a hospice nurse, it always saddens me to see a patient that is not experiencing quality in the time they have remaining, to spend with their friends and family. Many patients, understandably, become despondent and depressed, more focused on their terminal illness than on the time they have left. This past year, after admitting a patient who was experiencing a significant decline, I assigned Marie to the case. I knew that if anyone could bring light into the day of this sweet 92-year-old patient, Marie could. When the patient came onto our hospice service, she was not eating much, not communicating much, and wanted to be left alone. Through patience, compassion and persistence, Marie brought her out of her withdrawal, and the patient began to look forward to each day, rather than dreading it as another long day after another long day, waiting for the last day. By taking an interest in her patient as a "person", not a "patient", Marie was able to find out about what interests the patient had, what foods she liked, and what activities had brought her joy. Focusing on these, rather than on the patient's illness, the patient began to eat more, to want to get out of bed for the first time in a long time, and to take an interest in seeing tomorrow, next week, and next month.
Given a very poor prognosis upon admission to hospice, a prognosis of days or weeks, it was surprising to all of us (except Marie) that the patient was still with us, smiling and now enjoying a newfound enthusiasm for life, several months later. While the patient still continues to decline, and her physical weakness continues to progress, her emotional growth and strength amazes all of us, even the most seasoned hospice nurses.
I credit Marie with giving months of life to this special patient, months filled with special memories with her family friends, months of enjoying activities that make her smile, months of enjoying foods.
