Susan Wisley, Caregiver at Help at Home, has been named a 2024 Frontline Honors honoree by Home Health Care News.
To become a Frontline honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be:
- A dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes
- A passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into for the good of their respective industry, the patients and residents they serve, and their families
- An advocate for their industry and their fellow colleagues
Home Health Care News recently caught up with Wisley to discuss their time in the home health & home care industry.
HHCN: What drew you to this industry?
Wisley: Ever since I was young, I have felt the need to care for others. In caring for them, it makes me feel like I have fulfilled my purpose. I know that some days are going to be difficult, and when I leave my client, I may be discouraged. My hope, though, is that they are not, and that by me being there, they feel cared for and loved.
HHCN: What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry?
Wisley: There is no “normal,” meaning no condition, disease, diagnosis or situation is going to present the same in individual clients. No family is the same. No clients are exactly the same and there is always going to be something new I need to learn and adapt to in my work week.
HHCN: What’s your favorite part about your job?
Wisley: My favorite part is listening to all of their life stories. I have gotten to know some amazing people. Everyone has stories they would love to share and lessons to teach us from their life experiences.
HHCN: What do you want the general public to better understand about your job and the industry you serve?
Wisley: How important it is and how many more people could benefit from our services. It’s not just about making sure each person is living in a clean house or having a shower or food in front of them. It’s about making sure they have access to the resources available to aid them with any of their needs. It’s ensuring that they have healthy meals and that the appropriate medications are taken at the appropriate times consistently. It’s that they live better, happier, well-rounded lives and are able to get out into the community and socialize. Which is something that the pandemic taught us was much needed for most people to thrive. These people are getting older, as are we. These people are our history. They were our teachers, our care givers, and our parents. They deserve to be well-cared-for, and if they are not, what does that say about us?
HHCN: What’s something that you wish other people in your organization — particularly leaders who don’t work on the front lines — understood better about your job?
Wisley: I wish they really understood that some of the people filling these positions have never taken care of anyone before in their life. I wish they had a “job trainer” in each office who could better prepare them for the field. I feel we would spend a little more at first, but keep staff, as well as clients, longer, which, in the long run, saves us money and makes us a better company than the others. I have so many great ideas about it and every client I’ve ever talked to about it thought it was wonderful. I really wish it could be tested for a year in several offices. I would just like to see the difference it could make. At the end of the day, I want to believe that I have made a positive impact in someone’s life. I want them to feel as if their life has meaning. I want them to smile and laugh. I want to leave a legacy of being a compassionate caregiver.
To view the entire Frontline Honors Class of 2024, visit https://frontlinehonors.com/.
The post Frontline Honors: Susan Wisley, Help at Home appeared first on Home Health Care News.
