My grandmother was admitted on 6 East. Typically, my grandmother receives all of her care at Lowell General Hospital. She turned 88 this past summer, and her health has begun to slowly decline. I requested she be transferred to Lahey so I could keep a close eye on her. As a nurse, it is difficult to allow others to care for my grandmother. I struggle to trust that others are providing her with the care that I do when she is home. My struggle is not because I don’t have faith in the care others provide, but because it is difficult for me to let go of that control. This issue is something we see many families struggle with when their loved ones are hospitalized. I was so relieved when my grandmother reluctantly agreed to be transferred to Lahey.

On the night she was admitted, many tests were run and, she immediately began receiving the care I knew she would. When I saw her the next morning, she stated how attentive the staff had been, and she now understood why I requested to have her transferred. As she ages, her CHF and CKD become more difficult to manage. We are finding that it is a constant balancing act between her medications. It is important to my grandmother, and to my family, that her quality of life remains high, and that she maintains her baseline.

For most of the days, my grandmother was at Lahey, Katelyn was her nurse. My family called and visited frequently, and Katelyn never failed to give an update or return a phone call. She ensured my grandmother maintained her baseline by ambulating her to the chair and washing her with extra TLC daily. She went above and beyond by giving her a shampoo cap and making sure she was always comfortable. Most importantly, with permission from my grandmother, she reviewed daily labs with me, and we trended them together. She reached out to providers with any concerns I had, and always made sure to follow up. She was patient with my questions and was understanding when I expressed my concerns that my grandmother would further decline.

On Friday, when my grandmother was being discharged to rehab, she looked upset. When I asked her what was bothering her, she said “I have been treated so well here, I don’t want to leave”. She felt completely different than she did on admission because of the way the staff treated her. When discussing her care, my mother agreed that Katelyn’s care had been special, and she never failed to update her. Because of Katelyn’s patience and kindness, I was able to track my grandmother’s progress and explain things to my family in a way they could understand. I trusted the care she was receiving, and my family and I were able to relax, confident that she was being treated well.

I cannot thank Katelyn enough for the peace I felt with my grandmother being admitted under her care. My family and I would like to see her recognized for her outstanding nursing care, and feel she is most deserving of this award. Katelyn may feel like the things she did were routine, but we hope she knows that they made all the difference. Thank you Katelyn, and thank you 6 East!