Dale Coleman, RN Case manager at Caretenders Hospice
After having spent more than 12 years at Schoedinger and more than 10 years managing the Hospice Caregiver Award program, it is so wonderful to watch the career growth of some of the amazing hospice caregivers in our community. We have watched Dale Coleman blossom in hospice and were delighted when she was nominated for the Hospice Caregiver Award.
Of course, we made special arrangements with Kelly Benjamin to come and surprise Dale in front of a group of her coworkers and colleagues. We walked in on an IDG meeting and surprised Dale, who was very moved that someone took the time to recognize her as an amazing caregiver and then nominate her for the reward.
Here is what Kelly had to say about Dale:
"Dale joined our team about one year ago, and since then she has taken on a workload that not just any hospice nurse could take on. Dale is a very well educated and experienced nurse who puts the needs and care of her patients’ first. I have had a growing working relationship with Dale as we have tackled case management together these past few months, and I have been able to see first-hand how devoted she is to her families and patients. There is a genuine love present, and how I know this is from a visit I made while being on call for one of Dale’s patients. On arrival, one of the first things the wife said to me while I was entering the home was how blessed she was to have Dale come into their lives at the time they needed someone the most. Her ability to bring a calm presence to a heightened situation while patients and families are navigating clinical declines and the reality of life without their loved ones, is not something just anyone can do.
Dale is also a team player, someone I am comfortable to collaborate with on patient care, and how we can work together to be there for all of our patients as well as each other. I recently had a patient who we knew was likely to pass over the weekend. When Dale was on call, I was able to communicate with her and just know that everyone would be in the best care. Sure, enough they were. Dale was everything they needed that day, from her smile to her laughter and her condolences per the daughter who contacted me to tell me how much they appreciated her presence.
Daily in home hospice care, we are out in the field, siloed by ourselves doing visits and care management, so to have this opportunity to acknowledge Dale and let her know how much she is appreciated with a team that is always here for her is a divine opportunity."
Congratulations Dale. You truly exemplify what it means to be a Hospice Caregiver.
If you know someone like Dale who deserves recognition as an amazing caregiver, please nominate them here on our website. It takes just a few minutes to tell their story.