Kim Sutton
December 2018
Kimberly
Sutton
,
BSN, RN
Care Management
Maine Medical Center
Portland
,
ME
United States

 

 

 

When my dad was hospitalized, I (the only child) learned that he had been hiding and compensating for my mother's rapidly declining cognitive function. For several weeks, I struggled to care for my mother while managing my dad's care. When Dad had bypass surgery, I asked to speak to the Care Manager to ensure they understood our situation and that, upon discharge from this hospital, Dad would have a competent caregiver at home. Within a day, Kim made connections to several facilities for rehab for Dad and identified some potential places for respite care for S. She went above and beyond, in my view - she helped me coordinate medical care for S, kept me apprised of my dad's status and needs, and was quite frankly the first person who really heard and understood the difficult situation that Dad and I were dealing with. When Dad was discharged, Kim was there to ensure all went smoothly and offer words of encouragement (and a hug). Without Kim's input, kindness, expertise, and unrelenting support, I don't know where we would be right now.