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Caregiver ProfilesErnestine Land-Hunt Volunteers of America of Wisconsin 2010 Distinguished Caregiver nominated by Teresa Hafemeister
Volunteers of America of Wisconsin, Inc. would like to take this opportunity to nominate Ernestine Land-Hunt for a 2010 Distinguished Caregiver Award. Ernestine works as a caregiver at Armour House, a residential program operated by Volunteers of America of Wisconsin, Inc. This home serves four women with developmental disabilities, ranging in age from 35-53. Oftentimes individuals with developmental disabilities age more rapidly than those in the general population and the residents at Armour House are no exception to this. These residents at Armour House need daily support to maintain their independence as they face the challenges of aging. The home that Ernestine works at went through a transition of service providers this past summer. The administrative staff working on this transition were hoping to retain as many employees who were already working with the residents to ensure consistency during the change of services. Ernestine was one of the employees who chose to work with Volunteers of American and showed enthusiasm despite the change in management as she was very committed to the services she provides. During the management transition, Ernestine was able to provide endless amounts of information about the house, its routine, and the residents. She was supportive of changes when made and took the time to explain to the residents what was happening. She encouraged them to get to know the new people who would be working with them. Ernestine also trained ne employees and offered extra guidance on ideas of how to help each resident individually. From watching Ernestine’s interactions with the residents is apparent that she cares about them and is dedicated to making sure all their needs are met, no matter what they are and is always ensuring their rights are upheld. Ernestine makes the effort in involve the residents in everything from cooking supper (which at times involves dancing to a CD while waiting for something to bake!), to cleaning, to each resident’s individual goals in the home. Recently, one resident began a new goal to set the table before supper. This goal is still new to the resident, so she was having some difficulty completing it. Ernestine picked up on this immediately and broke down the process into small steps to help the resident get used to each part – where to put the napkins, silverware, and dishes. She also managed to make it feel like a game which the resident has responded to very well. Ernestine has become one of the “go-to” caregivers at the group home because of her willingness to help out in every situation. She has volunteered to take on extra shifts when other employees have become ill or have had emergencies. Ernestine has also gone out of her way to help out the residents during her shifts. This past Easter one of the resident’s family members wanted to have lunch with her, but had to pick up another family member beforehand and wasn’t sure how he would coordinate the trips. Ernestine worked with this family member and put a plan in place to drive the resident to and from the lunch so that she would be able to see her family. Recently, Ernestine brought up some changes she had noticed on one of the residents who is getting older. She had noticed that the resident needed additional reminders and was sometimes taking more time to complete a task. All these changes are signs of aging; changes that sneak up without always being noticed. However, Ernestine pays such close attention and monitors the condition of residents so well that she was able to see these changes and make sure others noted the changes as well. Ernestine is a key member of this team. Without her knowledge and assistance with the residents the transition of services would not have been as smooth as it had been. Her consistent support of the residents shows in their ability to complete unfamiliar tasks and take pride in themselves. Ernestine continuously shows a willingness and desire to work as a team with everyone involved in the care of the Armour House residents. We cannot think of a person who deserves this award more. Thank you for this opportunity to present Ernestine’s truly exceptional work as a caregiver.
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