Kate Gerski, RN Case Manager at Suncrest Hospice
Occasionally we receive nominations for the Hospice Caregiver Award from both a co-worker/colleague and a patient’s family member. That happened recently with the nominations for Kate Gerski from Suncrest Hospice.
Schoedinger sends grief care newsletters to all the families we serve. The newsletters include a link to nominate a hospice caregiver on our Caregiving Tree website. Therefore, it is a special honor when a hospice caregiver is nominated by family.
Kaitlyn Bowling nominated Kate for the award, and then literally a week later, Kate was nominated by a family she served. Here are the things Kate’s nominators had to say about her:
Nomination from Co-Worker
Kate Gerski has been a case manager at Suncrest for approximately six months, but in that short time, she has already made a lasting impact on the lives of many patients and their families. One story stands out as a testament to her selflessness, compassion, and determination.
Early in her career at Suncrest, Kate faced a challenging transition: moving across facilities and into a new territory. This was a time of adjustment, but it also gave her the opportunity to connect deeply with her patients and their families. One of those patients had a son who was going through an incredibly difficult period. His father, who was in hospice care, was nearing the end of his life. Adding to his grief, his sister was estranged from the family, another sibling had passed away, and his mother was hospitalized with a prognosis that suggested hospice care might soon be needed for her as well.
Despite the emotional turmoil surrounding the family, it was clear that the bond between his parents remained strong, even though they had been divorced. Their connection was evident in their interactions, something that spoke volumes to Kate about the depth of their relationship. Shortly after Kate’s initial encounter with the family, the mother was placed in hospice care. However, there was a special request—she would only agree to care if Kate was her nurse. Though the mother was not in Kate's assigned service area, Kate did not hesitate to accept. Her caseload was already large, and many of the cases were new to her, but Kate’s commitment to her patients pushed her to go the extra mile, quite literally. She drove to the facility his mother was placed in, though it was outside her designated territory, and continued to provide exceptional care until the very end. What makes this story even more remarkable is Kate's ability to go above and beyond in more ways than one. Through her compassion, she was able to facilitate the reconnection of the estranged sister with her family. This not only healed a rift in the family, but also helped ease the son's emotional burden during a heartbreaking time.
Kate’s dedication to her patients, her willingness to embrace challenges, and her unwavering empathy have made her an invaluable member of the Suncrest team. This story is just one example of how she consistently demonstrates what it means to be a compassionate and committed case manager.
Nomination from Family
Kate is one of the most compassionate nurses I have ever met. She fit in so well with our family and not only took care of my husband, Bill, but me and my adult children as well. My husband was suffering with Frontotemporal Dementia or FTD and unfortunately this dementia was very aggressive. Kate was excellent in keeping us informed but also keeping us calm during the two months she was with us until the last week when there was a big change in his vitals. We needed Kate so much that week, and she was there every day giving us her full attention with whatever we needed.
My husband got to pass at home, and she helped us go through that. The morning he passed, my son called Kate to tell her and she came right away. Kate made sure we could be with Bill and then she and our aide, Katlin, started to give Bill his last bath. My husband loved Disney; we went there many times in our lives, and Kate put him in his favorite Disney shirt and jeans. They were so respectful of Bill and made him look so peaceful laying there.
Kate knew us for just a short time but was so loving and kind to our family during the most difficult time of our life. Also, I must mention that Kate was planning to go on vacation to Disney World the week following Bill’s passing - his most favorite place to be. Kate wanted to know what Bill’s favorite things were to do there, and we told her. Kate said she was going to do them in honor of Bill. She texted us a pictures of ice cream Micky Ears which was Bill's favorite thing to eat. What nurse does that? Kate was not only a nurse to us, but she became a friend and such a special person that we will never forget.
Congratulations, Kate. You exemplify what it means to be a hospice caregiver.
If you know someone like Kate and would like to nominate them for the Hospice Caregiver Award by Schoedinger, just visit our website https://www.thecaregivingtree.com/hospice-caregiver-award/nominate-a-caregiver. Be sure to give examples about why this person deserves to be nominated.