THE 2023 NATIONAL AMADA CAREGIVERS OF THE YEAR
Jamie of Amada Vancouver, owned by Kimberlee and Chris Crosby, excels at amplifying quality of life for clients likeAlex, a 31-year-old veteran who became disabled after stepping on an IUD during his deployment. Jamie understood Alex’s need to pursue activities and tirelessly gets him safely and securely in and out of his van when transporting him to the swimming pool, music class, medical appointments, and other public places.
Jamie helped Alex train and care for a new service dog, and when Alex’s wife goes out-of-state for work, Jamie makes sure to be available. Thanks to Jamie handling all of this and Alex’s occasional physical setback because of his condition has given Alex the quality of life he deserves.
During the pandemic, Jamie went into the homes of Covid-positive clients who had no family nearby to care for them. “She would be in full PPE and head on in and take care of them without hesitation,” Kimberlee said.
Jamie of Amada Vancouver, owned by Kimberlee and Chris Crosby, excels at amplifying quality of life for clients likeAlex, a 31-year-old veteran who became disabled after stepping on an IUD during his deployment. Jamie understood Alex’s need to pursue activities and tirelessly gets him safely and securely in and out of his van when transporting him to the swimming pool, music class, medical appointments, and other public places.
Jamie helped Alex train and care for a new service dog, and when Alex’s wife goes out-of-state for work, Jamie makes sure to be available. Thanks to Jamie handling all of this and Alex’s occasional physical setback because of his condition has given Alex the quality of life he deserves.
During the pandemic, Jamie went into the homes of Covid-positive clients who had no family nearby to care for them. “She would be in full PPE and head on in and take care of them without hesitation,” Kimberlee said.
Lucinda from Amada Greater Indianapolis, owned byBelinda and Kevin Schluchter, was placed with a hospice client who was bedridden and nonverbal. Lucinda wouldn’t accept that Rita was bedridden so she cared for her as if she wasn’t by getting her up, bathing her, dressing her, preparing her meals, and wheeling her into the dining room to eat and look out the window.
This went on for weeks without any response from Rita but Lucinda kept at it, bringout out puzzles and putting on the TV in the den. One day the office got a call from Lucinda with the message, “Rita is talking!”
Reported the care coordinator, “To everyone’s amazement, one day the hospice nurse came and said Rita was fine and no longer needed to be on hospice.”
Martin, who works at Amada Central Houston, owned by William Long and Brent Partin, did not hesitate whenasked to assist a veteran who had become depressed and almost nonverbal. The client lived in a rat-infested home that looked abandoned and often lay in bed all day. Other caregivers passed on visiting this client, but Martin said, “I saw him the other day and would like to cheer him up again.”
Martin encouraged the client to eat better and made sure healthier foods were available when a caregiver wasn’t around. He taught the client how to use the remote control, and even his cell phone so that he could talk to his daughter. Martin also helped the client arrange for rodent removal, food delivery, and VA services.
A retired veteran himself, Martin said that working as an Amada caregiver was the first time he had felt completely fulfilled since being in the military.
Cony of Amada Northern Nevada, owned by Ryan Hart, makes each client her one andonly priority while on shift. She is there for everything the client might need, including simply being a friend when the family is far away. An experienced nurse, Cony understands how to inform the office of a client’s needs – such was the case of a hospice client with out-of-town family.
On more than one occasion when a fellow caregiver was not able to work, Cony has stayed with the client through the next shift knowing the client couldn’t do without the support. For another client whose family lived far away, she treated her to a day of beauty by bringing in and applying makeup to the client so that she wouldn’t miss family as much and feel better about her week. Cony made sure the client got the royal treatment!
“She has touched every client and their families have always followed up with us to let us know how valuable she was,” said Carly LeBlanc, Director of Client Care. “We are the ones who are lucky to have her.”
Don of Amada Springfield, co-owned by Barbie Kolb, is walking proof that true friendship is based on communication. Heand client Jim bonded over the god-wink of being brought together and their belief in sharing the ministry. They tag-team preach during weekly devotions at nursing facilities and bring comfort to others at in-home Bible study groups.
Don takes excellent care of Jim, making gourmet food, keeping his home spotless, getting him to every doctor’s appointment and ministry event, and sharing about his years serving in the military. Once he learned about an event Jim had gone to all his life but would be unable to get to this time, Don took it upon himself to take Jim on the road trip even if it meant he wouldn’t be paid for his time.
Island of Amada Tucson, owned by Christina and Chris Ram, understands how important routine is to many clients. Forclient Norma, who has dementia, the routine included watching an evening TV show, talk about Norma’s artwork and fond memories, and complete her bedtime regimen.
While Norma slept, Island prepared for her morning breakfast routine by placing her teacup and tea just so, putting out the mixing bowl and measuring cup to make her pancakes, and setting three pieces of turkey bacon on a plate in the fridge for it to be microwaved to the right amount of crispiness.
Client Anne recovering from a stroke grew to feel safe knowing that she could call for Island in the night and she would help Anne to the restroom and then get her back into bed, helping her to find a new, comfortable position since Anne could not rotate her body on her own. Thanks to Island’s efforts, both Anne and her partner, Bernie, could enjoy quality sleep knowing they had attentive care.
After helping client Gary get ready for the day, Island encouraged him to get outside or go on outings. When Gary’s stomach started bothering him, Island took the initiative to take him to the hospital on her off day and stay with him. She provided comfort and a familiar, loving face when Gary was admitted to the hospital.
2023 CAREGIVER HONOREES
THE 2022 NATIONAL AMADA CAREGIVERS OF THE YEAR
The nomination submitted by Amada Knoxville read: Catherine has the chops to be a Zen master given her ability to stay calm through herclient’s frequent outbursts due to Lewy body dementia.
When he starts to display anger, she relies on her training and knowledge in taking action to help him feel calm and safe.
According to the Amada Mid-Maryland care team, “The Leslie Factor” is a thing, in that Leslie has a special talent for providing care to some of the mostdifficult and demanding senior clients – and she is willing to take them on! What is Leslie’s response when the client acts out?
“Mrs. H must be in an extraordinary amount of pain to treat others that way.” Yes, indeed, angels do walk among us … and her name is Leslie.
The nomination submitted by Amada Knoxville reads: Catherine has the chops to be a Zen master given her ability to stay calm through her client’s frequent outbursts due to Lewy body dementia.
When he starts to display anger, she relies on her training and knowledge in taking action to help him feel calm and safe. Catherine is committed to taking as many shifts as possible with the client because he becomes afraid and aggressive with an unfamiliar caregiver. “This gives the client’s wife great peace of mind,” said Franchise Owner Jeff Pell.
Known as the “client whisperer” at Amada Central Houston, Brittuwhni clicks with the most difficult clients who discover that they absolutely do want to accept care from her. She wins over clients who let her help with things they wouldn’t let other caregivers assist with.
When one client went to live with his sisters, he grew distraught at the possibility of not being in Brittuwhni’s care. The sisters continued service just to have Brittuwhni continue to provide home care and thus give their brother peace of mind.
Marie was a fill-in caregiverwho went full-time after leaving another agency that would not help with HHA certification renewal. Soon after she joined Amada Monmouth and referred a couple in their 90s who requested 9-to-5 assistance, 6 days per week.
The wife has memory issues but always smiles when she sees Marie, who commits to every shift because she truly enjoys caring for the couple and has become like part of the family.
“The husband told me that Marie is a gift from heaven and not to dare replace her or it will not be pretty for me,” said Franchise Owner Wayne Espiritu.
The care team at Amada West Virginia notes Crystal’s effective use of Therapeutic Communication.
Two clients who have conditions that make it difficult to express their needs are enjoying better quality of life thanks to Crystal’s adherence to the technique.
“Crystal walks the client step-by-step through the ADL being addressed, keeps all communication positive and successfully redirects when needed,” said Franchise Owner Kari Peyatte.
The Amada Northern Colorado care team reports that Karen brings a “Mary Poppins bag” with activities to every shift. In the bag are 200 different puzzles, playing cards, dominoes and other games!
When a client’s family members became confrontational and police were called, Karen stayed with the client to ensure her safety. For another client who loves NASCAR, she arranged an outing to see a race.
“Karen truly loves meeting people, getting to know them and leaving every situation better than it was when she found it,” said Franchise Owner Lisa Olsen.
2022 CAREGIVER HONOREES
THE 2021-2020 NATIONAL AMADA CAREGIVERS OF THE YEAR
The nomination submitted by Amada Knoxville read: Catherine has the chops to be a Zen master given her ability to stay calm through herclient’s frequent outbursts due to Lewy body dementia.
When he starts to display anger, she relies on her training and knowledge in taking action to help him feel calm and safe.
Jill of Amada Nashville was presented the Compassionate Value Award which goes to the caregiver who sees providing senior care as a calling and show genuine kindness and concern for clients they care for. Jill had been a longtime caregiver for a client who had her leg amputated following a car accident. “Jill took it upon herself to shorten the leg on all of client’s sets of pajamas so that she could sleep comfortably,” said Kelly Fehr, franchise owner of Amada Nashville.
Jill was there to comfort the client when she had to be told that her only daughter had died following a short illness. As her dementia progressed, the client would forget and have to be told again of her daughter’s passing. Every time, Jill would patiently comfort her as she grieved. A talented knitter, Jill knitted a blanket with the client’s name on it. She made sure to plan short outings so that the client could get out of the house “just to have some wind blowing in her hair.”
Justino Delgado of Amada Tucson served as an outstanding companion for a client with end-stage heart failure in hospice. The client wanted to enjoy eating what he wanted watching his large-screen TV. Justin honored the client’s wishes and kept him clean and dry, made sure he had what he wanted to eat, and chatted whenever the client had enough breath to have a conversation.
“An exceptional caregiver like Justin is one driven to ensure a client is not only safe and healthy but also happy and thriving,” said Christina Ram, franchise owner of Amada Tucson. “Justin does it all with energy, enthusiasm and a heart of gold that he wears on their sleeve.”
The wife of one client was distraught because no one could get her husband who is diagnosed with dementia to take a shower. The husband’s dementia was advancing, so he had no interest in such an activity. However, Justin saw how important this was to the client’s wife and through patience and persistence, he got the husband to start taking showers again.
John and Johanna Paschal, the Franchise Owners of Amada San Antonio, described how Linda helped one client find renewed joy in daily life through engaged companionship. As an invalid, the client experienced her social world shrink from a once vibrant lifestyle with many daily activities to days with fewer friends and the loss of the ability to drive and go places.
According to the client’s family, “On days when Mom was low in spirit, Linda would boost the mood by suggesting a drive. They would usually visit places that connected Mom to her past life, such as the church where she delivered plastic bags for the meal program; Luby’s Restaurant for liver and onions; Loop 1604 to see if the new bypass route had been completed; and even a simple trip to the mailbox. In our phone calls, Mom would always tell us about the drives and we could hear the renewed enthusiasm in her voice.”
“Erica knows the life-threatening symptoms to watch for our clients with chronic health conditions,” said William Long and Brent Partin, the Franchise Owners of Amada East Texas.
“She keeps close tabs on one client who suffers low blood pressure, observing him for signs of distress that could lead to shock. She provides detailed notes daily on every client and the actions she took — not just checking the boxes on an “activities of daily living” list. Erica regularly calls our office care team to inform them of any specific care details so that we are always involved.”
When Southeast Texas experienced an historic winter storm in February, Erica visited clients she knew didn’t have family nearby to make sure they were safe and had food and water. The storm triggered electrical and heat outages, along with water and food shortages. One of these “orphan” clients had a tree fall on the house and was without heat and food, so Erica brought hot coffee and a meal every day.
“One of the things Madison did to ensure proper care for one of our clients was to create “a bible” detailing all of her care needs and preferences,” said Kari Peyatte, the Franchise Owner Amada West Virginia.
“It included the client’s daily routine, favorite foods, physical therapy exercises, and specifics on her personal care. This “client bible” helps other caregivers tremendously when they cared for this client who is paralyzed on one side of her body following a stroke. Not only does all the documentation ensure the client’s needs are met, but it also sets up other caregivers to provide excellent care.”
“Madison is this client’s biggest cheerleader, too,” Kari added. “Madison is so excited for every new goal reached by the client, who has come such a long way after her stroke. She makes her fellow caregivers aware of every new achievement by the client.”
“Every single client Shirley meets asks for her to come back, even if she’s not their regular caregiver,” said Dave Johnson, the Franchise Owner of Amada Northern Illinois. “Her consistent professionalism makes her an all-around great caregiver.”
Shirley is observant and fast to act in moments of distress. When she saw that a client was starting to experience a seizure, she immediately called emergency services and the client’s family, and then used her training to assist the client.
Thanks to Shirley’s quick actions, her client’s life was extended, thus allowing the family to spend cherished time and continue making precious memories with their senior loved one.
2021-2020 CAREGIVER HONOREES
THE 2019 NATIONAL AMADA CAREGIVERS OF THE YEAR
The nomination submitted by Amada Knoxville read: Catherine has the chops to be a Zen master given her ability to stay calm through herclient’s frequent outbursts due to Lewy body dementia.
When he starts to display anger, she relies on her training and knowledge in taking action to help him feel calm and safe.
A member of the Amada Lehigh Valley care team, Gil is a longtime pastor who sees caregiving as a way of life. He won over an extremely difficult client who presented many challenges. Gil earned the client’s trust and thanks to his dedicated effort, the client became open to receiving care from other caregivers on the Lehigh Valley team. In addition, Gil provides care to a client with Parkinson’s, serving 7 days a week – four hours each morning and evening.
“The 6Cs that make up our value system are not just words,” Gil said. “It says something about all of us and the work that we do.”
Teresa enjoys what she does so much that she accepted a part-time recruiter position for the office only when promised she could continue working with two dementia clients with whom she had bonded. In addition, while on her own time, she continues to visit past clients who have moved into assisted living. “We wish we had the ability to clone Teresa so that we would have an army of her caring for our seniors,” said Franchise Partner William Long, owner of Amada Central Houston.
Kiki, a caregiver at Amada Annapolis, dedicated her skills and effort over a span of two years with one client. The client has many needs that Kiki meets and exceeds thanks to her in-depth knowledge and training.
When Kiki announced her pregnancy, the client pledged to work on improving her health to make her care easier on Kiki because she hopes to continue seeing Kiki.
“Kiki is super dedicated,” the client said. “She is one of the family and we love her. We just love her.”
Kathaleen, a veteran caregiver at Amada San Diego North, is truly the ultimate team player. Her dedication is such that she is the first to raise a hand to take a shift that comes up unexpectedly or that require travel. She even has taken three shifts in one day even though she ended up driving more than 30 miles.
When the neighboring Amada San Diego Central was just starting and needed to staff a new case, Kathaleen took the 12-hour shift even though it meant a very lengthy drive. She said she did it because she didn’t want Amada Senior Care to lose the client.
“I can’t say enough about Kathy and what she’s meant to our agency,” said Franchise Partner Cherie Burrough. “We’re dealing with emergencies all the time and when you have someone you know you can count on it just brings the level of comfort to one that money can’t buy.”
Joanne, a longtime caregiver at Amada Mesa applies an adept approach with clients who sometimes resist receiving care. Joanne truly understood how some senior clients can feel all alone even when family is close by. Her loving yet firm approach wins over these clients, many of whom have challenging conditions like Huntington’s disease or cognitive decline. She reassures, calms and communicates how important the client’s welfare and health are to her.
“You have to be more than a caregiver; you have to be a friend,” Joanne said. “You have to love who you are taking care of. Everybody needs that kind of love. One of the best parts of caregiving is knowing that when you are caring for a patient, you are giving them the support, love and friendship they seek.”
Kristia, a caregiver at Amada Tucson has an intuitive ability to relate to each client’s personal experiences that affect how they navigate their daily lives.
Kristia rose to the occasion in providing care to a client with frontotemporal degeneration, a brain disorder that can occur in people age 40-65. Kristia supplies all the tools, love, patience, diligence, consistency, reliability, humor, experience, and congeniality the client needs to maintain independence and health.
“The relationship that Kristia formed with this client is just amazing,” said Franchise Partner Christina Ram, owner of Amada Tucson.
2019 CAREGIVER HONOREES
THE 2018 NATIONAL AMADA CAREGIVERS OF THE YEAR
The nomination submitted by Amada Knoxville read: Catherine has the chops to be a Zen master given her ability to stay calm through herclient’s frequent outbursts due to Lewy body dementia.
When he starts to display anger, she relies on her training and knowledge in taking action to help him feel calm and safe.
A longtime caregiver at Amada Twin Cities, Elaine brings her special brand of kind attention to “all the little things” that reassure and delight senior clients. In caring for an 85-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s, Elaine helped her apply her favorite lotion as part of her bedtime routine and talked quietly to her to make sure she went to sleep comfortably. She even gently repositioned her throughout the night and took care of any perceived discomfort the client experienced during the day.
Elaine took time to understand what was important to her client, even though the woman had lost the ability to articulate. She included the woman’s husband of 65 years in the care of his wife as much as possible. “I know my mom was aware of Elaine’s empathy and was comforted by its warmth,” said the woman’s daughter. “I sometimes felt like I had another sister, or may another (healthy) mother, guiding me through this difficult journey, because the depth of Elaine’s loving feelings was always evident.”
Ashley of Amada Knoxville focuses on improving her senior clients’ health and lifestyle. Seeing one couple she cared for was significantly underweight, Ashley prepared healthy, home-cooked meals with fresh fruits and vegetables. (The couple’s diet had been consisted of whatever came out of a can or box.) After a steady diet of Ashley’s meals, the husband’s weight climbed to a healthy 164 pounds for his 6-foot-1-inch frame.
Ashley also encouraged the husband to take his Parkinson’s medication regularly and cajoled him into using his walker. These steps improved his mood, helped minimize his tremors and lessened his fall risk. Ashley’s support greatly helped his wife, who suffers from mild dementia.
A veteran caregiver at Amada Corona, Joy serves as a “looper” by attending to multiple clients during short two- to three-hour visits. She often works with five different clients in a single day yet gives her all for each. Joy jumped at the chance to help rather than be put off by such a challenging schedule.
Joy was off-shift when she received a call from a regular client who was in a panic because she couldn’t remember where she had parked her car at a large shopping mall. Joy dropped everything to drive to the mall, pick up the client and drive around the mall parking lot until they found the client’s car.
Cynthia is “nothing short of a personal caring angel to everyone she comes in contact with,” said Joe Spehar, Franchise Owner of Amada Pittsburgh. “She goes above and beyond to ensure everyone around her is safe and content.”
Cynthia is passionate about her clients being well cared for, comfortable and fed. She said that kept up her cosmetology license just so she could provide complimentary hair styling to a client she knew was living on a limited budget.
A longtime caregiver at AmadaMesa, Megan is adept at interpreting clients’ needs and overcoming challenges in their care. She was able to gain the trust of a client diagnosed with Alzheimer’s who was struggling to give up her independence and not allowing caregivers to take over some household tasks. Megan went through the steps of doing laundry with the client to show her that everything would be done as the client wanted.
When the client began having hour-long seizures because of the disease’s progression, Megan would sing the client’s favorite hymns to her because she had noticed it would help ease the seizure and bring it to an end. “Her clients feel her love and commitment,” explained Kris Patmos, co-owner of Amada Mesa. “They know she will always care for them lovingly. Megan never delays in taking care of a need. She knows how important it is to know the heart of her clients and what speaks to them.”
Because of Vanise’s ability to get along so well with others, her female client experienced peace of mind, knowing that her daughter and husband were getting emotional support while the client dealt with a worsening chronic disease.
Vanise truly became one of the family, spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with them and sharing personal stories with them. The client asked Vanise to continue caring for her husband when she passed away. The bond between Vanise and her client was so close and trusting that Vanise was there the day the client passed away peacefully at home.
2018 CAREGIVER HONOREES
