Grab A Towel
From L to R: Angelina Ferguson, Janet Foster, Bob Speelman, Lakisha HartFebruary 21, 2019Note: The following story was taken from the blog of Bob Speelman, VP of Business Development & Culture at Foundations Health Solutions. Each week, Bob works as a nursing assistant in one of his facilities to better understand the company's commitment to being A Culture of Care.My journey as an STNA took me this week to Huntington Woods, our 82-bed nursing home in Westlake, Ohio. I had the amazing privilege of working alongside three outstanding nursing assistants: Janet Foster, Angelina Ferguson and Lakisha Hart. I came there scheduled to work with Janet but quickly realized that they were a team. When you work on the second floor memory care unit at Huntington Woods, if you work with one of these ladies, you work with all of them! Janet is 48 years old, has been at Huntington Woods for three years, and has been an state tested nursing assistant for 23 years! She has four boys, whose ages are 28, 27, 24 and 20. Janet became an STNA after her father was admitted to a nursing home and he wasn’t getting the care she felt he needed. She began brushing his teeth and caring for him at the facility each day, to make sure he was taken care of how she felt he deserved. After he passed, Janet knew in her heart that she needed to go and become an STNA to help care for others the same way she had for her father.
Throughout the day I bounced back and forth assisting Janet, Angelina and Lakisha. They all three knew their residents well, and all three knew what each other was thinking and needed before they even had to ask. Their kindness and interaction with the residents was heartwarming. It was a pleasure to work with these three ladies and I was encouraged to know that they were the ones caring for our residents. They are the backbone of our Culture of Care.
When I got home and was reflecting on the day, my mind wondered to the passage of scripture where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. His disciples all wanted to have an important spot (job) with Jesus and Jesus knew they were missing his whole message. So Jesus quietly got up, took a bowl of water and started washing his disciples feet (a job in those days done by a servant). Jesus’ message to his disciples was if you want to be great or important, help and serve others.
As I worked alongside Janet, Angelina and Lakisha and we cared for our residents by bathing them, toileting them, dressing them and feeding them, I witnessed the same message that Jesus was trying to teach his disciples by washing their feet. If you want to be great at Foundations Health Solutions, grab a towel. If you want to move up in our Culture of Care, serve others. Never let your ego become bigger than your servants towel!
Thank you Janet, Angelina and Lakisha! The only thing bigger than your towels were your hearts!!
Bob Speelman, STNA
Bob's BlogHuntington Woods is a proud part of the Foundations Health Solutions family. With 55 skilled nursing facilities in Ohio, Foundations is committed to resident satisfaction, clinical excellence, and providing A Culture of Care.