She Cares for Me Too

^{Haley Freels and Bob Speelman}

_{May 3, 2023}
I spent the day with Haley Freels, a Nursing Assistant at Respiratory and Nursing Center of Dayton(RND), one of our facilities in Dayton, Ohio. Haley was amazing to shadow. Her passion to make a difference was immediately apparent when I asked her why she loved long-term care and taking care of her resident. Her response was, “I love coming in knowing that I can make them happy, I can make them smile. Something as simple as a bath or a shower makes them feel so good for the day.”

I asked Haley if there was someone that was exceptionally influential in her life, and she was quick to respond, "My Grandma Sharon." Haley said that her grandma taught her so much, and she wanted to make sure she made her grandma proud with whatever she did. "She always told me to live by the Golden Rule; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Haley said, “That has always stuck with me, and I have always tried my best to live by that.”

At one point in the day, the wife of one of Haley's residents, Dawn, came in, and Haley introduced me to her. Dawn told me that her husband was placed in three different nursing homes in Dayton before finally coming to Respiratory and Nursing Center of Dayton. Dawn said she loves RND and the care that they provide her husband. The thing she said next that tugged at my heart was her response to what made Haley such a good Nursing Assistant. Dawn said, “Haley is amazing. She is caring and loving and provides not only for my husband but also for me. It’s hard having your husband in a care center. I come here every day, and Haley always asks me how I’m doing. That means a lot to me.”

Dawn’s words made an impact on me. I had never thought about that before, but she was exactly right. As part of our Culture of Care, we are not only providing care to our residents but to their loved ones as well. We become like family and the love and support we provide goes beyond our residents.

“Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters.”

- Amy Leigh Mercree

Thank you, Haley and Dawn! You both taught me a wonderful lesson today!!

Bob Speelman, STNA