Main Menu
Date: Mar, 16 2021
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in Social Work?
It was really haphazard – I took one of those aptitude tests when I was in my freshman year in college and was pointed toward Social Work! There I stayed and here I am!
What helped you determine that this was the career path for you?
Once I started in the course work in college, I just felt ‘at home.’
Why did you choose to work in Hospice?
I had been a hospice volunteer for HealthEast hospice for four years prior to re-entering the workforce and the volunteer coordinator encouraged me to look into hospice work as a career.
Why did you choose to work for Adoray?
I live in Hudson - so vicinity was a large factor but after working for two metro based hospices that are fairly large, I really wanted a position that felt ‘hometown’ and served the patients ‘out my back door’ in in my community. Also – you can’t beat driving through the countryside and farmland vs freeways and traffic!
What is the most rewarding part about being in this field?
The feeling that we truly do make a difference to people in a very vulnerable phase of living. And that difference can be the smallest thing but a day changer for the patient or their family.
What is the most challenging part about this career?
Accepting that the outcome is always a death- so working towards making a ‘good death’ part of this outcome is a constant goal and mindset.
What is a lesson you have learned throughout your career in Social Work that you would like to share with others?
All of our patients and families have a story that isn’t limited to what we see once we are involved in their lives – it stretches back to stages in life not different to those we ourselves experience in our lifetime. They were once younger - with plans, families, jobs, a childhood, accomplishments, and failures – all waiting to be remembered and shared. I have learned to ask them and listen. The connections and similarities often cause me to reflect how small this world really is and I love that!
