Lisbeth

Lisbeth was caring for older adults before it was officially her job. She started out serving meals in an assisted living community, and on her breaks she kept gravitating toward the residents, walking someone back to their room or quietly helping a person who was having trouble eating. The caregivers noticed and told her she was already doing their work, so she made it official. In the few years since, she has built a remarkably broad foundation, caring for people in memory care, skilled nursing, behavioral health, hospice, and private homes, and earning her CNA along the way. Her favorite work, and where she is most at home, is memory care. With clients who have dementia, she leans on patience and routine, talking a person through each step of what she is doing and offering reassurance when they feel anxious rather than rushing them. She is also someone who does not give up: she once arrived for a shift with a client who, confused, did not want to let her in, and instead of turning around she stayed calm, reached his family, and kept talking with him gently until he felt safe enough to open the door. A good listener by her own description, Lisbeth is bilingual in English and Spanish, and on her days off you will usually find her hiking in the mountains with her dog.