How long have you been in your position?

I celebrated my fifth anniversary with LeadingAge lowa on March 1.

What attracted you to working in end-of-life care and what motivates you to continue working in end-of-life care?

Nearly my entire career has been devoted to long-term care in some capacity. When patients were nearing the end of life, I felt honored to help ease their fear and anxiety and to support them in making their final days as comfortable as possible. In my roles as a director of nursing and administrator, we also focused on supporting loved onesoffering a place to stay, providing food and drinks, and doing whatever we could to help families remain close during their loved one’s transition. The compassion shown to both patients and families made me incredibly proud to be a caregiver during such a meaningful time.

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned from working in end-of-life care?

End-of-life care is not for everyone. It takes dedicated, compassionate individuals who are committed to easing the struggles of both patients and their loved ones during one of life’s most difficult moments. Because of the exceptional care l’ve seen hospice providers deliver, I never hesitated to encourage my mom to use hospice services at the end of her life.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I enjoy spending time watching my daughter participate in extracurricular activities such as soccer and dance, catching up on the latest reality TV shows, and spending quality time with friends.