Health Care Heroes Awards 2023: Home Health Care
Brenda Brassard
PACE Organization of Rhode Island lead certified nursing assistant – home care
What led you to choose health care as your profession? When I was young, I was fortunate to know my great-grandmother. She lived in a nursing home and we visited her frequently. I observed how frail she was, and I couldn’t understand how she fed herself, bathed and got dressed. My mom explained to me that there were workers there to help her throughout the day. Years later, after my great-grandmother died, I went to work at that very same nursing home where she had lived. I wanted to be part of the team that helped others. As I got to know the residents at that nursing home, I became part of their lives and saw how I was making them happier and more comfortable. I felt valued and appreciated. I knew that I had found my professional calling.
Federal and State Nursing Home Staffing Mandates
Staffing has always been an ongoing challenge in the long-term care industry. However, since the…
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How have you helped boost the quality of or access to health care? My role at PACE is to provide care in the home and to support other aides who are newer to PACE to make sure everyone gets the help they need. We help our participants get dressed and shower, make meals and pick up the house. It’s not just the physical work either. When you do your home care job right, you need to be a good listener. Many seniors are alone during the day and that often leads to depression. It’s our job to encourage them to go to our day center for socialization and to just talk to them when we’re in the home.
What is the biggest challenge you and your organization are facing this year? There’s no question that staffing and reimbursement rates are our biggest challenge. After the first surge of infections during the pandemic, our industry started seeing burnout and stress. Thankfully, our team at PACE feels supported, so we’ve been able to retain them, but the demand for our services is growing and hiring remains a challenge.
Tell us one thing that most people don’t know about you. One of my favorite ways to unwind with friends is to sing karaoke.
