Heather, tell us how you contribute to the GoodLife population.
Sure! I’ve been a nurse for more than 10 years and have direct support professional (DSP), long-term care, and hospice experience. What I loved about hospice is that the goal is to make sure individuals have a good quality of life, and that translates well to what GoodLife works to accomplish. I’ve been with GoodLife since November 2019 as the Director of Nursing, and it’s a perfect fit. I supervise four nurses who care for residents in our day service programs and community-based homes. We are the first point of contact for care, and we guide residents and in-home staff where to go next with their ever-changing, ongoing health needs.
How does GoodLife approach nursing differently?
Our nurses utilize telemedicine and connect to homes remotely through our iLink technology to reach more people and spend more quality time with them than the traditional way of traveling to different sites. In the time we’d normally be driving, we can instead telemonitor minor ailments, perform wellness checks, and conduct other daily visits, which really allows us to be there for residents when they need it and bring care right where they are. The way we’re able to care for residents is revolutionary.
What are the outcomes you love?
I worked for GoodLife years ago as a DSP, and I loved the family atmosphere – I was more than a caregiver, I was family to our residents. When I had the opportunity to come back to GoodLife in my current position, I jumped at the chance to continue to provide that extended-family atmosphere to our senior residents and those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The genuine care GoodLife shows to individuals on a personal level is woven into everything we do and everything we are striving to accomplish. We work hard to make sure our residents have the best quality of life–that’s the ultimate outcome, in my mind.
How are you keeping staff and consumers safe during the current COVID-19 health situation?
I’m happy to say that we are set up for this. We already provide care through remote support services, and our Neighborhood Network is well established. The foundation of a well-selected neighborhood with the personalized technology of iLink and professional next-door neighbors keeps staff and residents quarantined to certain areas to prevent the spread of infection. Our goal is to keep everyone home and safe right now, and our care model supports that.
What are you most excited about for 2020?
GoodLife’s history is in caring for individuals with I/DD well. As we look forward, we are learning how to best serve our senior populations in the same great ways. Seniors have rapidly and ever-changing needs that are in some ways similar, but in many ways different, than our I/DD population. With my background in long-term care and hospice, it’s a great honor to be able to contribute to the future of GoodLife in this way.
Learn more about GoodLife’s staff here.
