In 2001, Mom went to work at the Ruth M. Smith Center.
Mom? Well, at the Smith Center she may go by the name of ‘staff,’ Bloomster Building supervisor, or Kathy Sprandle—her real name. Regardless of the name used, there is a reality to the name, ‘Mom.’ When your responsibility is for the daily care of ten adult residents, you step necessarily into the role of mother.
Kathy ‘Mom’ Sprandle arrives at work by 8:00 AM, reads the individual reports left by the night staff member, and then becomes—like mother—the most important person in the house. It’s like home.
“My day starts out making myself familiar with the individual needs of each resident for the remainder of the day,” explained Kathy. That care includes very basic activities like doing laundry, cleaning throughout the residence building, and doing the dishes. But the most demanding work goes far beyond these typical tasks.
Kathy commented, “I have to be a listener. And, there is the need to be aware of what each resident is doing.” This includes knowing who is walking to town, when a resident has a medical appointment, and how each one feels during the day. Sounds like Mom, doesn’t it? And there are, of course, other essential duties such as administering medications for each resident at the proper time and documenting what each person’s day was like.
Like Mom, Kathy is an encourager. “I like making a difference in the lives of the residents. I love it when I see them happy.” That’s right…sounds like Mom!
Kathy lives in Sheffield with her husband. They have three grown children.