#1 My mother was diagnosed with dementia five years ago, and it has since progressed to where she is barely able to do anything on her own. I often fear bringing my mother to the hospital as she will be alone, and she is unable to advocate for her needs, which often makes me worried she will be forgotten. But not with Carissa. Carissa showed my mother love, kindness, and respect. She is truly a healer and someone special; she was destined to be a nurse. Carissa would sit with my mother and hold her hand when she became scared, read to her, tell her stories, and remind her constantly about us and how we were still here even though we weren't at her bedside. She would sing music to her and convince my mother to smile, a smile I haven't seen in years since her Alzheimer's diagnosis. She would tell her when they were boosting her in bed, "give yourself a hug, say I love myself," and my mother would repeat it and smile. I'm sure it didn't mean all that much to my mom, but it meant the WORLD to me. To hear my mom say that and then smile, I know it has forever changed my life, and now sometimes, when my mother becomes a lot at home, I will hug my mom and tell her I love her just as much as she should love herself. It has forever changed us. My mother is often restrained and scared when in the hospital, but with Carissa, she would look at her and just smile. 
#2 I had a hard decision to make about whether or not to place my mother in a nursing home or not as she had become too much for us. Carissa recognized how hard this must be for me, and she pulled up a chair and sat by me and talked me through everything, she gave what input she could, and she not only cared for my mother's medical needs with excellence, but she sat with me and cared for my psychological and emotional needs too. She treated my family with such respect and dignity that I will forever be grateful to Hunterdon Medical Center for employing this special person.