What keeps you coming back to MacRes?
I know I’m needed here. I know that the Residents really like to have staff that they know and are comfortable with. I know my Residents. I can’t even explain it. I just love it. It’s very positive, and I need some of that positivity some days.
How does working here compare to other places that you’ve worked?
The benefits are nice, but more than that, the leadership understands what staff need. Knowing when somebody’s getting very worked up, they might say, ‘Hey, you know what, take tomorrow off and get yourself better.’ Other places just don’t do that. There’s a lot of grace given. It’s very unique.
They seem to really care about the staff as well as the Residents. And it’s not a negative environment. If somebody calls you to a meeting, you’re not afraid to go to the meeting. You know what’s going to happen. It’s usually just a check-in, or asking advice about things like: What do you need to do your job? What do we need to do? How do we need to do it? That’s not something I’ve ever had at any other place.
What’s challenging about MacRes?
The things that our Residents have been through are what’s hard.
A lot of our Residents have mental health issues, or they have substance use issues. And the medications help them with a lot of that. When we can’t get them to take the medications, they just don’t feel good.
It’s a balance of trying to convince them that what we want is what’s best for their health, and still giving them the autonomy to make those choices. There are some days when we just can’t get through, and those are the harder days.
What makes MacRes work?
I think it’s the people. People who really care about the work. People who really want to work with these types of Residents. And it takes all of us and each department, no one is more important than the other. That and the kindness, just the basic human kindness.
It’s not always easy, not always fun, but our Residents are great. They care about staff, and staff care about them.
Who thrives here?
Someone who wants to make a difference. Because in this environment, we can. It doesn’t always feel like it, but I’ve seen it first-hand.
For example, there were a couple of Residents that were very negative and would yell at you if you just stopped by. The nursing department said, you know what, we’re just gonna keep saying ‘hi.’
Just by saying ‘hi’ every day, consistently, they’ve really opened up. A couple will [now] actually play and get goofy with us. Sometimes you have to look stupid to make them laugh, and it works. It’s something you have to be willing to do.
Our Residents, when they’re grouchy, say things that sometimes can hurt feelings. They don’t mean it in that way; they’re just lashing out because they’re unhappy. So, we need people who are confident enough to let that go, but can still be empathetic.
Because the medical side is important, but so is the person underneath all that.
Our Residents need to know that they’re cared for. They need to know that they’re loved, that they’re wanted, that they’re needed. Our Residents don’t always feel that way. They don’t always get that treatment out in the world, so we need to create it here and keep it that way.
