It's a strange thing, when you work in healthcare, to experience it from a patient/family perspective. Logic becomes blurred and what once was obvious becomes a question. Its also a little nerve wracking to care for a colleague's family member.

After settling in at Ava's House, my mom's nurse Leigh took over for the weekend. We knew each other from working in another department together years prior. Leigh, however, never once shied away from diligently caring for my mother.

Countless times I remember going to the nurses' station and asking for her opinion or wanting to reiterate how to best help my mom. When I, or others in my family needed reassurance that we were doing the right things, Leigh kindly heard our concerns and would assess my mom's comfort level and share with us her thoughts. She listened to our worries and provided emotional support to us all during this high stress time.

Most of all, Leigh remained focused on my mom while tending to our needs as family. I remember her saying "this is your mom's journey"; what a wonderful way to highlight her dignity during this process.

One thing that stands out in my mind when thinking about the nursing care at Ava's house and Leigh in particular, is that she more than several times said that it was her pleasure and privilege to care for my mom during this time. Not only did she say this, but her actions supported this throughout our time at Ava's. Thank you Leigh, and the whole team at Ava's, for giving my mom dignity, and supporting our family.