Resilience: noun
The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness. The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.

On the eve of a huge ice storm last week, I met virtually with Oregon colleagues to plan a resilience workshop for frontline home health and hospice caregivers. The following  excerpt of a reflection is  written by a remarkable colleague. She shares her experience of  events that unfolded that evening

 “Our conversation, my heightened state of being knowing a storm was arriving and thinking about RESILIENCE led me into a night I will never forget. We live in a town built in a bit of a bowl shape and full of old trees and lovely landscape, our 1910 home is on one of the edges of the bowl, overlooking the town.”

“We had an ice storm that Friday night. Trees and power lines were weighted with the ice and what ensued was like all night fireworks with the cracking and falling of trees and exploding transformers lighting the sky. And it was a weekend to remember as the administrator on call. Cell service interrupted, nurses unable to leave their homes because of blocked driveways, power lines draped over their cars, no electricity to warm their parents or kids…patients to get covered or to ensure they are safe. You dig deep in these times to keep everyone as safe as possible.”

“We had a remarkable team working for this emergency. Traversing roadblock after roadblock, determined to find the safe way to get to the patients in need. Seeing patients in darkened Assisted Livings, picking up a patient visit for the nurse with power lines on her car. On Sunday, our nurse had a flat tire on the freeway and a Good Samaritan stopped to assess her situation. He saw her badge, she explained that she was a Home Health nurse and he said, “I’m changing your tire in thanks for your work. It is my pay back for what you do for your patients”.

“Our patients were so grateful for these super nurses doing what they do best: serving. In this case, the very vulnerable.”

It is such an honor to work alongside such Mission inspired leaders and heroic caregivers. 

Shared by Liz Sorensen Wessel