When one thinks of a nursing home, negative thoughts usually dominate our minds. We envision senior citizens having to be taken care of due to their significant age and illnesses, often times “against their will”. Many residents deal with debilitating illnesses and diseases that render them dependent upon the staff for the most basic actions. My family is currently looking through this grim lens. My grandmother, Flora Kay Unrue, suffers from Parkinson’s disease in addition to Dementia and has been living in a nursing home for at least the past two years.

I want to express my thanks to those who have chosen to serve our elders. In Eastern culture, one's family and elders are among the most sacred things in one's lives. But sadly in the West, this reverence of family is not as common. I hold my family as a treasure and will always want the best for them in all situations, especially if they’re in a position to where they cannot help themselves.

In Ashland, KY, where my grandmother resides, every time I have the opportunity to go and visit her I notice something about the staff. To put this plainly, working in senior services is an unbelievably difficult job. Administration handles insurance information in addition to the general operation of the facilities. Without these individuals, people such as my grandmother wouldn’t have access to these crucial facilities. The cooks working in the kitchens of these facilities provide consistent and specified diets to cater towards the residents. Without these individuals, residents might not get exactly what they need in their diets. The nurses are without a doubt the most dedicated to their work. These individuals care for the residents in a very hands-on and personal role. These people have chosen to personally care for our elders who are going through the most difficult part of their lives. These people develop endearing relationships with the residents which allows for the engagement in stimulating conversation and the development of consistent new relationships. The janitorial staff helps to maintain a clean environment in an attempt to reduce the number of harmful agents in the residents’ environments. These individuals hold a crucial role in safeguarding the residents’ health, attempting to prevent illnesses.

Recently I had m�et up with a group of friends and someone brought along a new friend. This new friend works in a nursing home. He is a cook almost every day of the week. Upon learning this I felt a need to tell him how much I appreciate what he does. “I just want to thank you for what you do. As someone who has a family member going through that situation, every effort to make someone else’s grandmother/father’s experience through a very difficult time in their lives is very much appreciated.”

These individuals are overlooked when it comes to appreciation. These people have chosen to spend their time helping individuals who can no longer help themselves. As someone who has a family member having to be placed in and now must live in a nursing home, I must say that these individuals care very much about what they’re doing, often joking and conversing with the residents. Join me in thanking these individuals for providing a safe and nurturing environment not only for my grandmother but many other senior citizens in their time of need.