Taking care of the elderly population can pose lots of challenges. For someone in the end-stage of his or her life, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, confusion, chronic and acute conditions, and resistance to change can make caregiving and treatments obstacles for health care professionals. Often, caring for family members can also become a challenge in an already stressed health care system. Nurses, who are caring for this vulnerable population, are most successful when they possess certain skills and attributes… those being compassion, empathy, attention to detail, creativity, patience, and consistency. With this understanding, we feel the need to express our grateful appreciation for the care that our 87-year-old mother has been receiving on Baird 3 in the early part of March this year for one of three illnesses she has experienced since December of 2018. After 3 hospitalizations at CVPH for respiratory illnesses, our mother contracted an infection that required her to be sent to the University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment. While all the nursing staff on the unit were exceptional, one nurse that she had really went above and beyond to give her the best care possible. Kamal Bhattachan was that nurse and we greatly appreciated and admired his attention to our mother.

Kamal embraces all the attributes and skills that make for an outstanding nurse, especially when dealing with the elderly population. The infection that our mother had produced an intense amount of pain and anxiety for her. In caring for her, Kamal demonstrated a high level of compassion and patience when delivering care to her. He talked and comforted her through her pain and anxiety, often holding her hand and talking calmly and soothingly to her in her moment of need. He made sure that she did not suffer for long periods of time without her pain medications and checked on her frequently. When the pain medication was not holding her pain at bay, he creatively suggested how we could manage the pain better by requesting a different dosing schedule to her “as needed” medication so it would be more effective. He was also consistent with checking in on her frequently to make sure she was doing okay and also spent time with her to help ease her anxiety and fears around being alone in the hospital when her family was both with and without her. We can genuinely say that Mom looked forward to his attentiveness. His attention to detail in her care is commendable.

He not only made sure that she was comfortable with her pain, but also that she was clean, hydrated, and eating. He also suggested a nutritionist come in and see our mother to make sure she was able to get the proper nourishment when her dietary intake was less than optimal. On top of the extraordinary care he provided for our mother, he was also very considerate and patient with our family’s needs. He answered questions, gave us information within hospital guidelines, and made us feel that our requests and concerns were not a burden to the overall situation.

For these reasons, we feel that Kamal is a DAISY Nurse. He truly emulates all of the attributes of a skilled and compassionate nurse, especially towards the elderly. The University of Vermont Medical Center is blessed to have such a wonderful human being and professional as part of their nursing staff.