About Me

At a very early age, I was introduced to healthcare for the geriatric population. Before I even entered Pre-K, I was helping around my parents’ Assisted Living Facility. There are pictures of me feeding pudding to the residents and sitting on their laps as they read me my favorite bedtime stories. These were the first friends I had ever made despite the 70-year age gap. As I ventured through my high school and undergraduate career, I was still so drawn to this population. I continued volunteering at a school for the elderly with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). There, I assisted in curating quality educational programming to improve their money skills, literacy, cultural competency, overall independence, and more. I found the utmost joy when I helped a student to complete a new skill. I was alongside them for a few days while they learned to write their name. The ability to be proficient in oral and written communication is a skill that is often taken for granted. In addition to providing programming, I would observe different clinicians from physical therapists to speech therapists come in to assist the students through exercises to improve their walking or ability to utilize a speech board. Through working alongside this population, I came to realize how often overlooked and misunderstood this population was. I was determined to be a doctor who would serve as a positive example for a team of clinicians to provide high-quality care to these individuals. 

 

As I continued to work with this population I wanted to do even more. I decided to then become a Certified Nurse Assistant so that I could play a more intimate role in this population's life as a primary care provider. I worked at several Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) all with the geriatric population with IDD. Each ALF presented itself with patients of different cognitive and physical abilities. I enjoyed working in a team with RNs, LPNs, and caretakers to ensure the safety and well-being of every client. Being able to collaborate with the support coordinators and families to set goals and create care plans was so insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to share ideas with other individuals to personalize a care plan.