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GOOD NEWS
Highland Manor’s Addie Brewer
is 2003 Caregiver of the Year
Most
people look forward to retiring once they reach their mid-60s. They
dream of moving at a slower pace, taking trips they’ve never had the
time for before and indulging in some much needed rest and
relaxation. But, none of that is true for THCA’s 2003 Caregiver of
the Year.
At 72, Addie Brewer, a LPN/floor nurse at Highland Manor Nursing
Home in Portland, hasn’t slowed down one bit. In fact, she says she
doesn’t plan to.
Brewer heard her calling to nursing in 1962. She began her career at
Sumner Memorial Hospital (now Sumner Regional Medical Center) after
graduating from a nursing program in 1966, the only African-American
in her class. She has worked at Highland Manor for the last 16 years
and is driven to provide excellent care, she says, by the knowledge
that she could easily be one of the numerous patients she serves.
Brewer stays busy passing medicines, doing skilled assessments and
administering treatments. Her coworkers say she is a woman of many
talents, like her outstanding ability to care for others with
compassion and respectfulness.
“Addie is always courteous to patients, family members and
physicians,” says Dr. Ralph H. Ruckle, medical director at the
facility. But most importantly, she is knowledgeable as a nurse and
knows what is going on with her patients.”
According to Administrator Dennis Burtnett, Brewer doesn’t only give
of her time; she is also willing to share her knowledge. If someone
asks for help, she is willing and able to pitch in.
“Addie’s dedication is unsurpassable, her work ethics are remarkable
and anyone would be lucky to watch and learn from her for she is a
real role model,” Burtnett says. “Her record is a testament unto
itself.”
Top of the list of compliments paid to Brewer by her peers is her
unmatchable energy level.
“For being 72 years young, she has more energy than most of the
people who are around her,” Burtnett says. “We just try and keep
up.”
Because she earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues at
Highland Manor, Brewer was selected as the facility’s Caregiver of
the Year, and Burtnett nominated her for district and statewide
honors. In September, she was honored as the Nashville District
Caregiver of the Year at THCA’s 56th Annual Convention & Trade Show,
along with winners from Memphis, Jackson, Chattanooga, Knoxville and
East Tennessee.
Highland Manor leaders, employees and patients opened the facility’s
doors on Friday, Nov. 14 – Nursing Home Caregiver Appreciation Day
in Tennessee – to welcome Brewer’s family, friends and even her
minister to celebrate her selection as statewide Caregiver of the
Year. And, she had no idea she’d been chosen until she was brought
to the dining room and pinned with a red-rose corsage.
Judy
Eads, assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health
(TDH), along with THCA Executive Director Mike Cole, surprised
Brewer with the announcement and presented her with a plaque,
flowers and a “ticket” signifying a three-day Carnival cruise.
“I’ve got some points I’d like to read about Addie,” said Eads. “You
probably know better than I do, but I’m going through it so it’ll be
on record.”
Eads concluded her remarks with an explanation of what Brewer’s
co-workers say her name – Addie – stands for: Always there when
needed, dependable, devoted, impulsive (in a good way) and
everything to everyone.
Michelle Fetters, president of Adventist Care Centers, Highland
Manor’s management company, added to the excitement when she
presented Brewer with a plaque, flowers and spending money for her trip. “We
are proud of you and want you to have a good time,” said Fetters.
“Don’t spend that money before you cruise.”
Brewer,
who was completely surprised by the announcement, approached the
podium and said, “You don’t know how proud I am. I never thought I’d
be speechless. How did you do this without my knowing? My staff,
coworkers, peers and family are all here, even my pastor.” She
finished by adding, “I love you all, and there is nothing you can do
about it.”
Brewer has been no stranger to attention this year. Just last month
the Portland Chamber of Commerce named her Portland Citizen of the
Year for 2003.
When asked how it feels to be a long-term care nurse in 2003 she
said, “It’s not an easy job. You have to love people and care about
them. You have to want to nurse them.”
In addition to her career, Brewer and her husband Lim have raised
six children. They have worked hard to instill in each one a very
strong sense of religion and education, teaching by example. This
year the Brewers celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in
August, and Lim proudly announced this during the ceremony honoring
his wife.
“I’m happy for her,” Lim said as he headed off to his own job. “Both
of us know we’d be lost without our jobs. We’d go crazy if we just
sat around.”
To read The (Gallatin) News-Examiner’s coverage of the
Caregiver of the Year presentation,
click here.
2003 District Caregivers of the Year
Each year, THCA honors one person from each of its six geographic
districts as District Caregivers of the Year. Addie Brewer, the
statewide Caregiver of the Year, was chosen from the six 2003
district winners.
This year’s district winners include a woman who was able to
convince a patient to walk when he had refused to even try before,
another woman who continues to give 200 percent to her facility even
after being diagnosed with cancer and another who has provided
exceptional care to her patients for more than 20 years.
The following district winners were honored at THCA's 56th Annual Convention
and Trade Show in Nashville in September:
 Memphis District, Vonda Jones, Sycamore Care &
Rehabilitation Center;
Jackson District,
Sue Marshall, Maplewood Health
Care;
Chattanooga District,
Carol Puckett, Life Care Center of
Cleveland;
Knoxville District,
Marcia Sams, Fairpark Health Care
Center; and
East Tennessee District,
Lora Condon, Four Oaks Health
Care Center.
Past Caregivers of the Year
In
1999, members of the Tennessee Health Care Association developed the
Caregiver of the Year award as a way to recognize and pay tribute to
the selfless individuals who go the extra mile daily in the state’s
nursing homes.
The statewide award is presented every year on Nursing Home
Caregiver Appreciation Day in November. District winners are honored
in September at THCA’s Convention, and numerous facility Caregivers
of the Year are honored each year by the staff at their own
facility.
In the first year of the award, the THCA Public Relations Committee
selected JoAnn Payne of Quality Care Health Center in Lebanon
from a pool of 99 nominees as the inaugural statewide Caregiver of
the Year. In a special ceremony, Dr. Fredia Wadley, commissioner of
the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), presented the award.
Nancy Noles, of Knollwood Manor in Lafayette, was honored in
a special ceremony as THCA's 2000 Caregiver of the Year. State Sen.
Charlotte Burks (D-Monterey) presented the award to Noles.
In 2001, Kathy Burnett, activity director at Country
Place Health Care Center, was awarded the honor. Tennessee first
lady Martha Sundquist presented Burnett with her prize at Country
Place in Crossville.
And, in 2002, Glen Bunton, a CNA at Appalachian Christian Village in
Johnson City, was recognized as Caregiver of the Year. Stacey King,
a local television news personality on WJHL-TV, Channel 11,
presented the award.
For more information on Caregiver of the Year, contact THCA's
Communications Department or send an e-mail to
info@thca.org
“Good News”
is a feature designed to spotlight some of the many
positive aspects of long-term care in Tennessee. Know of a “good
news”
item?
Contact THCA’s Communications Department at info@thca.org.
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