Care Dimensions Hospice Aide Ketty Charles, CNA, shares a happy moment with one of her home care patients.

Hospice Aide Lives Her Passion

Helping other people has always been a central point of Ketty Charles’ life.

As one of six children, Charles grew up in Lynn, Mass., watching her parents lend their time and talents to family, friends, and neighbors who needed a hand.

The passion for helping others rubbed off on her, and it started at home.

When her mother became ill with cancer, she took care of her. She wasn’t professionally trained in providing health care, but she knew how to put her love and compassion into caring for her mom.

Charles was just 19 when her mother died. The caregiving experience inspired her to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA).

For the first 29 years of her career, she worked as a CNA in nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. She helped patients who suffered from many different illnesses, including dementia.

One year ago, Charles joined Care Dimensions as a hospice aide. She helps three different teams that care for hospice patients in their homes and in long-term care facilities north of Boston. 

She believes she has found the right job that taps into her professional and personal strengths.

“To work in hospice, you have to care about people,” Charles said. “It’s not just about a paycheck. It’s about love, caring, and patience.”

Praise for hospice aide’s compassion, positivity

“Ketty is warm, compassionate, and has a generous spirit,” noted Care Dimensions Clinical Manager Karen Ames. “Patients, family members, and facility staff always remark on her smile and positivity. A daughter of a patient remarked, ‘You cannot help but smile because of hers. She makes me feel good but what is most important…she brings out my mother’s smile.’

“Ketty exhibits her passion for providing the highest quality of care by how she approaches the patient and gently guides the patient through the care she is providing,” Ames continued. “She easily establishes an environment of trust when she walks into any setting.”

“I feel good knowing Ketty’s providing care to my patients because I know she will help ease any anxiety they or their families may have,” said RN Case Manager Jasmine Lafortune. “Families have told me, ‘She is so kind and takes her time,’ and, ‘She treats patients with dignity and respect.’ She’s awesome!”

Although she had cared for older adults for many years, Charles’ first exposure to hospice came about six years ago, when a family member developed cancer and was referred to Care Dimensions by her doctor.

“I quit my job and took care of her,” Charles recalled. When the hospice team came to the house, she recognized the CNA as a former co-worker.

“I was impressed with the attention and caring that the hospice aide and the entire Care Dimensions team gave to our family member,” she said. “I also saw their compassion and their commitment to giving high-quality care.”

After the patient died, Charles returned to her job at a nursing home, but a seed had been planted about working in hospice.

A few years later, a friend who had joined Care Dimensions encouraged Charles to apply for a hospice aide position there. Recalling the care her family member had received, she took the advice and is glad she did.

“I like the company and the people at work,” she said. “My clinical manager listens well, is understanding, and truly cares about her team. I also like our company’s commitment to deliver the best care, which is what I want for my patients.”

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About the author
Lisa Conti is Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Care Dimensions and manages its Voices of Care blog.