It takes more than a week to thank our healthcare team.
National Nurses Week runs from May 6 through May 12, coinciding with Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Designated in 1998 by the American Nurses Association as a single-day celebration, the event has expanded into a full week! Though, even a week doesn’t quite seem like enough time to honor the everyday heroes our healthcare system relies on.
At Carlyle Place, nurses are more than employees, they’re part of the family. This week we’ll be showing our nursing team how much we appreciate all they do. We don’t just wait for one week of the year though, residents and administration express their gratitude all year.
Here to help
Carlyle Place is one of the most highly-regarded Independent Living communities in Georgia, and as a Life Plan Community, we’re able to offer a full continuum of care if you should ever need it. Most Independent Living residents don’t need additional nursing aide, but the residents’ and team members’ paths cross frequently throughout the day.
“I feel like I have 240 grandparents walking around here,” said Tonya Wilson, the Carlyle Place Wellness Nurse who oversees the care of Independent Living residents. You can find her on weekdays in the clinic for simple things like labs and first aid. She also works closely with the wellness team to ensure every resident is getting what they need to thrive.
“I even came up here on a Saturday and played Pickleball with the residents just for fun,” Tonya said.
As part of our full continuum of care, our CARF-accredited healthcare center offers skilled nursing, personal care, often referred to as personal care and memory care right here. You don’t have to leave your home if your health needs change.
Cally Freeman manages the nursing team in our healthcare center. She began her career at Carlyle Place as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). She found she loved working with seniors so much that she continued her education to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Cally returned to Carlyle Place after she completed her education and now gets to empower other nurses on her team to provide the best possible care.
What makes caring for seniors different?
There are a variety of nursing careers to choose from, but some require more advanced degrees than others. Some nurses crave the excitement of busy Emergency Rooms, while others prefer the special connection that comes from one-on-one care. Regardless of the path taken, there’s always a need for compassionate care in the world.
Cally has worked in a few different settings as both an LPN and an RN and knows she made the right decision for her career. “I see many new nurses coming out of school automatically go work in hospitals because I think that’s where a lot of TV shows take place, or they fear they won’t be able to use a lot of their skills at a retirement community. The fact is, you do just as much, if not more, here than in a hospital because we’re trying to prevent patients from spending time in a hospital. So much of what we do is preventative care, and that’s really important work.”
Not all heroes wear capes
Many Carlyle Place team members have been with us for decades, and the residents are the reason why they do what they do. It’s not only the residents though. Getting to meet their family and friends is also a big part of what makes being a nurse at our community so great.
“We have family members that will bring pizza up for our staff one day or donuts another. During Christmas, we feel a lot of generosity and love. We have good families and residents who really show appreciation,” Tonya said.
It would be impossible to forget the heroic dedication that nurses all over the country displayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team was no exception. Residents were regularly kept informed by our healthcare team of the various protocols implemented at state and national levels, and because that trust was already established, our team was able to keep residents safe and healthy.
As we celebrate National Nurses Week, we look deeper than the fun-themed days, gifts and snacks and really say THANK YOU to those who devote so much of themselves to keeping Carlyle Place the best Life Care Community in Georgia. If you like living a vibrant, active life today but worry about future healthcare needs, Carlyle Place might be just the place for you. Our active community always has something to do and new people to meet. You can rest assured knowing our outstanding healthcare will be there when you need it. To learn more about the wonderful healthcare options we offer, call 478-405-4544 today.
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