(The following information was provided by Living Branches.)
On Monday, May 15, State Representative Steve Malagari, Senator Maria Collett, and team members from Living Branches gathered for a tour of the Health Care neighborhood at Souderton Mennonite Homes and a discussion surrounding ways elected leaders can help strengthen the programming offered by Health Care (skilled nursing) communities.
Cathy Snyder, CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) at Souderton Mennonite Homes for the last 35 years, was an important part of the conversation, as she spoke to both the joys and challenges that come with being a CNA.
“I love my job, but it is really hard some days. Some days we feel spread so thin, and our residents need us to show up every day ready to help them. We know their preferences, what they like, the inside jokes. CNAs provide vital care and love to our residents; we need to encourage more young people to consider working as a CNA,” said Snyder.
Following Snyder, Chief Human Resources Officer Kristin Thim and President/CEO of Living Branches Edward Brubaker shared some of the challenges skilled nursing communities are facing in the competitive southeastern Pennsylvania job market, specifically surrounding the many regulations that must be followed to train and hire CNAs.
The meeting concluded with officials and team members motivated to streamline the training process with the goal that it will help not only Living Branches, but all skilled nursing facilities in Pennsylvania who are being faced with the same challenges. Anyone interested in pursuing a career in health care is encouraged to sign up for our paid CNA training course at livingbranches.org/cna.
Living Branches is continuously working to ensure residents experience meaningful lives filled with purpose and joy and is grateful for the continued support and advocacy from Representative Steve Malagari and Senator Maria Collett.
