Moving loved ones into a retirement community can be a hard thing for their former caretakers, but to Susan Stephens, it was made a little easier by an administrative assistant at Presbyterian Village North (PVN).
Stephens nominated Christina Martinez as KRLD radio’s Difference Maker of the week for her exceptional assistance to families during the pandemic.
“Especially in the last eight or nine months with COVID she has been so incredibly helpful to me and I’m sure to other families to help us to stay in contact with our loved one to and keep us informed with emails of what’s going on,” Stephens told KRLD.
Stephens went on in the interview to say Stephens gives that kind of energy and compassion to all families under her care.
“I don’t feel it’s just me,” said Stephens. “I feel like she knows every family member personally. I don’t feel like I’m just a number she’s responding to. I definitely think she goes above and beyond during this situation. It gives me tremendous comfort.”
Martinez was joyfully surprised when she was given the news that she was nominated as a Difference Maker.
“It is such a joy and privilege to be able to care for our residents,” said Martinez. “I have never looked at my job as work but a place I can go that makes a difference in our residents lives daily. Whatever I can do to make their lives better and more enriched every single day is a privilege and a pleasure. They are the greatest generation that has ever lived, and I’m honored and humbled to serve them.”
Stephens noted that although the medical team at PVN is great and her mother hasn’t been hospitalized in 18 months, the real hero is Martinez.
“Doctors and nurses are great. The caregivers are great, but sometimes the people that make all of this happen are equally important and they need to be recognized.”
To hear the full interview with Stephens on KLRD click here. If you would like to recognize a teammate, email Connie Scott at CScott@forefrontliving.org. For more information about PVN, visit presvillagenorth.org.