Jennifer Kinney, Caregiver at Village Caregiving, 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 Kinney to discuss their time in the home health & home care industry.
HHCN: What drew you to this industry?
Kinney: It was just natural for me to be a caregiver. I knew I had the heart and mind for it, as I was raised in a big family of healthcare professionals. I could never see myself doing anything else.
HHCN: What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry?
Kinney: I’d have to say the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to treat others the way you want to be treated, and to never judge someone because you too will be judged.
HHCN: What’s your favorite part about your job?
Kinney: The friendships I have with my clients is the absolute best part of my job, and I’m so thankful to work with these individuals. Knowing that I’ve helped to make their day, and life, easier for them, is especially important to me.
HHCN: What do you want the general public to better understand about your job and the industry you serve?
Kinney: As a caregiver, we are here to help, and not everyone needs to go to a nursing home. Needing a caregiver, and needing daily assistance, is not the end – friends and family can still come to visit, and our clients can still go on outings. Life doesn’t stop for them just because they need a helping hand to stay in their homes and age in place with grace and dignity.
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?
Kinney: As someone who becomes a meaningful part of a client’s everyday life, sitting with them and talking with them, making meals for them – when they pass away, the grieving process is intense and emotional. It is like losing our own family member. I find it especially important to attend the funeral, to pay my respects to the ones I’ve had the privilege to help. However, not all caregivers can afford to take the day off, without pay. It’s a full circle in my opinion to be able to have the choice.
To view the entire Frontline Honors Class of 2024, visit https://frontlinehonors.com/.
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