The Oregon Caregiver SPRING/SUMMER 2023 www.ohca.com 8 FEATURE » FEATURE, CONT. “My favorite part of the day is usually lunchtime when I get to see the team’s hard work pay off with happy and well-fed residents,” said Comer. “I really enjoy knowing I play a role in the residents’ day; it’s a feeling of pride that I’ve never felt before.” A favorite dish of residents at The Springs at Mill Creek is the meatloaf and its special sauces. Comer loves to prepare hearty meats like steak and chicken and will leap at every opportunity to crack open the grill. This community prides itself on having fresh food cooked every day, with cuisines from around the world. As the cook of the day, Comer often runs the soups and desserts, but the main dishes give him the freedom to experiment with ingredients. His favorite original creation is turning a creamy mushroom chicken dish into Pollo a La Crema, which contains chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, tortilla, beans, and rice. Comer hopes it will be added to the regular rotation. Afternoon Once the lunch rush ends at around 2:30 p.m., Comer prepares the meals and desserts for the next day’s menu. The cookies, which are made from scratch, are the residents’ favorite dessert. Comer says one of the perks to being a cook is working in a location that smells good all the time. Evening At the end of his shift, Comer cleans and sanitizes his cooking stations and lends a hand to any colleagues who need additional support. Comer goes home knowing he made a difference in the lives of residents. “Food can make a bigger difference than filling a belly,” said Comer. “I love my job because I get to be a part of the residents’ favorite part of the day. It makes me feel accomplished every day knowing the residents are fed and content with their food!” Working in the long term care sector has taught him to be patient and receptive to feedback. With a few more years of experience in the kitchen under his belt, he hopes to be an executive chef and aspires to one day own his own restaurant. A Day in the Life of a Social Services Director In long term care, the role of social services staff and social workers is complex and multi-faceted. Erin Hoscheid, the social services director at Rose Linn Care Center in West Linn, describes her role as a “catch all” for anything that falls in between nursing, activities, dietary, and business operations. She has been in her role since the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020 after working as a CNA and med tech for several years. “I found working as a CNA and a med tech at nursing facilities so incredibly rewarding,” said Hoscheid. “Through my few years of nursing school and my time working at a short-term skilled nursing facility, I’ve come to realize that I prefer working with long term residents who I can get to know well over time. They become like family, and I enjoy being able to make a difference over a longer period in their lives.” As a social services director, Hoscheid completes care plan reviews and data assessments on a quarterly basis. During these reviews, she evaluates hearing, vision, dental, cognition, communication, behaviors, mood, and discharging plans. All this information is recorded in the resident care plans where staff interventions and goals for each issue are written. She also manages ancillary services for residents, including hearing, vision, podiatry, and dental. When there are concerns or complaints, she is responsible for resolving them by looping in the appropriate people and resources. From keeping inventory of resident belongings to coordinating transportation, to coordinating a smooth discharge plan, Hoscheid covers a wide range of responsibilities daily to enable each resident to function at their highest possible level of social and emotional wellness as they transition into or out of the care environment. Stir fry and an eggroll is a one of many dinners prepared by Comer. “I like to take time to talk with multiple staff members about residents to get a fuller picture of how they are doing and what issues they may be having. Progress notes don’t really paint a full picture of what is going on with a resident.” – Erin Hoscheid, social services director, Rose Linn Care Center
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