DPSS and the office on Aging wanted our Geriatric Care Team to take a case that was not APS related because they felt our team was better suited to help. The patient recently retired from the board of Office on Aging and was very active until she suffered a major stroke and then became bed bound. Her daughter wanted to establish care with RUHS and was having her mother transported to the MSC IM Clinic. During transport, the patient slid out of her wheelchair onto the van floor. Upon arrival at the MSC, our geriatric team with help from others secured a gurney and helped the patient get to her appointment. I am so grateful to our Geriatric Care Team and Internal Medicine for helping the patient and was very impressed with everyone's teamwork and patient advocacy. The daughter called me to say how grateful she was to Barbara, our GCT Nurse, for helping her mother.

Barbara went above and beyond to help the patient and took her time at the home visit and even stayed late to assist with the appointment she had at the MSC. The daughter was so impressed with us that she wanted to send a special thank you to the Geriatric Care Team. In addition to her calling, this message was left for our Geriatric Nurse from the patient's daughter the following day:

"I just wanted to thank you again for being a safe place for me to fall yesterday when I kinda fell apart. I was thinking about it through the night, and it was just nice to see the familiar face of somebody I knew with everyone around that was helping. I want you to know how much I appreciate you and the fact that you stayed to the bitter end to help because that's something I would do. I just want you to know how grateful I am and I really hope that God truly blesses you for the person that you are because you really are a genuine person. From the bottom of my heart, I really, really thank you."

The Riverside County Office on Aging sent this e-mail to our GCT Nurse: "I have no words to express my gratitude for the help you extended last week. Seriously, you went above and beyond! I spoke with S, and she was overwhelmed with appreciation for several of the staff at RUHS, but especially for you. You grounded her when she was crumbling and brought her peace and comfort through a scary and overwhelming time. I don't know that the outcome would have ended as favorably without you! I sometimes have a tendency to be protective of my clients, and having fellow advocates out there makes my heart overflow! You are what the world needs more of! Thank you, thank you, thank you! There is a special place in heaven for people like you!!"