Caring, and keeping dignity intact OXFORD — Walking through the “neighborhoods” of the state Veterans Home at Oxford, it’s immediately apparent that you’re in a special facility for a special group of people. Insignias from the different branches of the armed services decorate the walls and appear on everything from residents’ clothing to the blankets covering their beds. Every resident’s room has a sign listing not only their name, but the conflict and branch of the military they served in. In their recreational arts and crafts activities, the residents build scale models of military helicopters. C a r in g for t hos e who have served Supervising Licensed Practical Nurse Kathy Funnell has worked at the veterans’ home for 30 years. She understands the care she and her co-workers provide is special. “I’m a nurturer by nature. I love this population, these older people. It’s really quite a privilege to take care of these people, as they are in the last stage of their lives, especially these World War II veterans — they really are the greatest generation, and I feel they deserve much respect.” Also making the facility special is the fact that the entire building is only a few years old. In 2009, the state opened this new state-of-the-art 220,000 square foot building, featuring built-in ceiling lifts to assist the workers with safe patient lifting. “Having this newer facility, there are a lot of assets about this building, every resident has their own room and their own bathroom, and the ceiling lifts are great. I’ve had back surgery from lifting residents, and the modern lift equipment we have here is definitely a help to our backs. It’s cut down Supervising LPN Kathy Funnell, left, gives a shot to resident Charles Aswad, a Navy veteran who served in World War II and Korea. on the wear and tear on our bodies significantly,” Funnell said. Even the type of care they provide can be special. Walking through the facility, CSEA Oxford Veterans Home Local President Garry James pauses to point out one resident under hospice care, with a worker sitting by his side. “He told us he didn’t want to be alone, so we rotate through taking turns just to sit with him,” James said. “We provide a lot more than just the minimum care here.” Nowhere is that care more challenging than in the facility’s Pine Neighborhood, a secure unit for those suffering from dementia. “It takes special people to work on this unit,” James said, workers like Nursing Assistant Certified Melanie Laing. “These residents can be very difficult, so you have to have lots of patience and obviously you have to be very caring,” Laing said. “These residents are not like those on the other units, they require a lot more hands-on care. You have to have a heart to deal with the residents and their families. Every day we make sure that their dignity is still there.” “These guys have gone through a lot and they deserve to be treated with higher respect,” Laing said. I always feel different when I take care of these guys because we wouldn’t be where we are today without their service.” That’s a feeling shared by Nursing Assistant Certified John Funnell, a veteran himself, having served in the Army and been deployed to Iraq in 2007. “Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s my duty to repay the veterans who served before me; I understand what it’s like to be deployed away from your families, and what it’s like coming back. Going through what I did, it gives me a better perspective of what they went through,” John Funnell said. Funnell also enjoys the time he spends with the residents, hearing about their lives. “I enjoy the stories these guys tell, and I enjoy becoming part of their family,” he said. Nursing Assistant Certified Gilbert Gabone, who has worked at the facility for 10 years, is passionate about meeting the specialized needs of the residents. “The most important thing is to understand their needs, which can change over time. The staff here are committed to providing the best care here,” he said. Care with compassion, honor and dignity. For the CSEA members providing it, and the proud veterans living at the home, it doesn’t get much better than that. — Mark M. Kotzin Nursing Assistant Certified Gilbert Gabone gives some juice to resident Wendell Ward, an Army veteran who served in the Korean War. November 2015 The Work Force 7
The Work Force - November 2015
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