More Than a Visit: How Hospice Aides Care for the Whole Family

Keyanni Darling is the kind of person you want by your side during life’s most difficult transition. As a hospice certified nursing assistant, she cares for patients at some of their most vulnerable moments. She does so with compassion and a smile – and a quiet understanding for what they need.

She remembers one patient in particular, who lived alone and was very religious. When her condition began to decline – and family came in from out-of-town – Keyanni realized that they could benefit from meeting with the spiritual counselor on her team.

“Everything happened so fast,” Keyanni recalls. “My manager reached out to the spiritual counselor and they came out the next day. I happened to be there at the same time, so we were all together comforting them, talking about memories. I would share things my patient had told me – ‘Your mom really loves you; she would tell me all the time.’ They were so grateful. And the next day she passed.

“It really hit me that we do good things for people. Making that one phone call to request a spiritual counselor really impacted that family, because that was their last time with her while she was still alive.”

It’s a story not only about Keyanni’s attention to her patient’s needs, but also the teamwork at Care Dimensions that ensures those needs are met. For Keyanni, it was a moment made possible years earlier – as she searched for “something more.”

“Hospice kind of chose me”

Before joining Care Dimensions in 2023, Keyanni worked in a skilled nursing facility. She was good at her job, but something was missing.

“I felt like I needed something more fulfilling.”

So, she started searching Indeed and came across an opening for a CNA position at Care Dimensions.

“I didn't exactly know anything about hospice. I was young – I saw Care Dimensions and hospice and thought, ‘okay, I'll try it out.’

“Honestly, hospice kind of chose me. And once I started working for Care Dimensions, it's been a blessing.”

As a hospice aide, Keyanni begins each day by visiting patients wherever they call home – a private home, assisted living community, or one of Care Dimensions’ two hospice houses. No two days are exactly alike, and that variety is what Keyanni enjoys most about her work.

“You really get to know your patients. You learn their daily routines, what they like. You get that one-on-one connection. It's different when you can take your time caring for somebody instead of rushing around, and I've really appreciated that.”

Sometimes, that extra time extends beyond the visit itself.

“I had one patient whose family was very close. I came in every day, and it was a hard transition for them.

“When the patient passed, I felt the need to do postmortem care. I didn't have to, but I wanted to give them that. I went there and washed her and cleaned her up; she looked really peaceful and at rest. The family was just incredibly grateful. It just gave them that extra peace.”

Teamwork, Communication, and Compassion

Although most of her days are spent alone with patients, Keyanni says teamwork is a vital part of the job, as the call for a spiritual counselor showed.

“When you say you need help, everybody answers right away, and everybody comes and helps.”

That kind of teamwork starts with the compassion each person brings to the work. It's a quality Keyanni considers essential for anyone in her role as a CNA.

“It's hard even for us to see someone dying. But if you're just there – maybe playing a song for them or simply sitting and holding their hand – they really appreciate it. You can see it in their eyes, in their face.”

To those who might be job hunting, and coming across Care Dimensions in the search, Keyanni’s message is that the organization stands out.

“What I love about working here is the teamwork and the communication. You actually feel like they care about you here, and they show it.

“You're not just a person here – you're somebody who means something to your patients, to families, to nurses, to everyone.”

To learn more about career opportunities at Care Dimensions, visit CareDimensions.org/Careers.