Building Trust with Patients at Home

What type of relationship do you have with the patients?

Kristen: Just being in the home setting with them kind of adds another element to the interaction. So, typically, we get very close to our patients and get to know them and their families very well. I really enjoy that.

Lynette: I love making them smile and joke around with them, you know. It's a lot of fun hearing stories, like when they were growing up or what they did for jobs.

Shelly: Some you become their family. They don't have any and so they want to know what you're all about because they don't have their own family to enjoy. And so, they try to hear about yours just to, you know...and sometimes we're the only people that they might see in a day.

What are the advantages of local in-home care?

Kyla: A lot of our patients we've seen on another service before, or we've seen their spouse. And so, a lot of times when we go see a patient in the home, they've already somewhat developed a trusting relationship with us.

Lynette: Like our supervisor really tries to have the same nurse and same aide see the same people. That way, we get to know, you know, the things they like and don't like and vice versa.

Have you developed any special relationships with patients over the years?

Shelly: I have met and become family with several of my patients, obviously, in the last 24 years. Some of them have started with my services and then ended up going into another facility. But sometimes you can't hardly break that connection and they still write you letters and ask you to stop.

Karla: I have had a couple of ladies in their later stages in life, in their 90s, who have been in the hard situations after a fracture or with Parkinson's and just wanting to see them get better, back to their lifestyle. They had such great sense of humor and are always interested in trying something new.

Why would you recommend Brookings Health System?

Kristen: I'd recommend Brookings Home Health and Hospice Services because of the personal connection that we make. You know, we're more of a small town feel. And so, we, a lot of times, do know our patients, their families, and we're able to get to know them and even interact with them in the community in other ways. So, I think that's a reason that helps us to be more local.