Baltimore City/County

Caregiver Named 2016 National

Caregiverof the Year

Award Winner

Kathy Carter, a Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Technician from BrightStar Care of Baltimore City/County, received this year’s top honor of BrightStar Care Caregiver of the Year – and deservedly so.

A BrightStar Care employee since 2010, Kathy was nominated by not one but two clients for her extraordinary care. One client says, “I have had many CNAs over the years but Kathy Carter is clearly the ‘BEST’.”

She was also recently promoted to a mentor role where she supervises new employees and helps assess complex cases to ensure all clients receive the very best care.

Watch the highlight video from the day she found out she was named a regional winner and finalist for the national award, see photos from the national award ceremony, and read the nomination letters that earned her this honor.

Congratulations, Kathy, and thank you for embodying what it means to serve with passion!

The National Caregiver of the Year Award Ceremony

Kathy Carter 2016 BrightStar Care National Caregiver of the Year

2016 BrightStar Care Regional Caregivers of the Year

The Nomination LettersWRITTEN BY JAMES E.My name is James. I am classified as a paraplegic by my insurance company. The owner of BrightStar is writing my words down for me. I was a truck driver and was in a catastrophic accident. I have received care from BrightStar in Baltimore since 2011. When I have had medical issues I have had visits from BrightStar RNs and LPNs who were also very nice. I have twice daily visits from CNAs. I am bedbound and use a Hoyer lift to get out of bed. Since 2011 I have lived as the youngest resident at Emeritus, now Brookdale, an Assisted Living facility. My neighbors are lots of seniors many years older than me. Almost all of my care is provided by BrightStar. I have had many CNAs over the years but Kathy Carter is clearly the ‘BEST”.

She is a very good listener. She asks and wants to know how I want things done for my care. She, like most CNAs, has her own way of doing things. She puts that aside and asks me how I want to be bathed and then does it my way. She remembers and does it consistently “my way.” She goes out of her way to make sure other BrightStar CNAs also know my preferences about my care. She has come on her own time to train them when she heard that I was not happy with how they were doing things. BrightStar has sent her to train other staff on providing me great care.

Kathy always goes above and beyond what other CNAs do. She maintains her professionalism but does what makes you happy. Before she leaves she asks if I was, “100% happy with my care.”

Kathy has lots of “positive energy,” exemplified by her constant smiles. I am always happier when she walks in my room! She is also my pep team. In the past I have gotten depressed about my condition and my inability to make things better for my family. Kathy picks up on my mood and does her best to get me out of my “funk”. She always is a good listener. She talks with me about my problems, not so much offering advice as encouraging me to think through the alternatives and to be glad for what I do have in my life.

I have an Electrical Stimulation Bike for arm and leg exercise. When it was not working she made calls to the company and she figured out how to fix it for me. I feel so much better when I exercise. When my air bed was broken she called the company and got it fixed. She is willing to do whatever it takes to provide me great care and does it in such a professional manner.

I easily get UTIs and need to keep drinking water. I order it for delivery from Pea Pod. One day Kathy came up with several bottles of water from her own supply because she had noticed on her previous visit that I was low and it takes a day or so for my order to be delivered. That show how thoughtful and generous Kathy is.

Since my accident I have seen many medical professionals and many caregivers. Kathy is the best and I hope BrightStar recognizes her for the wonderful caregiver that she is and how well she represents your company.

WRITTEN BY KAREN K.My name is Karen and I am the main caregiver for my 93 year-old mother, Alimay. BrightStar has provided care for her for more than two years. Physically I can no longer do all of Mom’s care on my own. I love my Mom but it is truly exhausting providing her care. Those caregivers have given me some of my life back.

I have even been able to take on being President of my garden club. BrightStar has been a life changer and I tell by friends and acquaintances that they should be using BrightStar for their loved ones.

Kathy Carter has provided care to my mother for several years. She is one of many caregivers that provide her care. Kathy is “heads above” my other caregivers. She loves her clients and it shows in everything that she does. She provides great care to my mother and goes well beyond my expectations of a CNA. One example: my Mom’s bed rails were not working and Kathy figured out the problem and fixed it.

She is able to get my Mom to do things that I cannot and other caregivers are unable to do. She is the only one that can get my Mom to swallow her large pills. She gets her to swallow food and medicine unlike anyone else.

She gets her to chew food. She gets my Mom to exercise and even laugh while doing it. Kathy is a miracle worker! My Mom can be very difficult and Kathy never gets upset or angry at my Mom’s words or actions. She is able to calm her and redirect her and never takes my Mom’s anger personally. Kathy gets my Mom engaged and makes conversation.

She listens to her and really responds to what Mom is saying. You can hear Kathy’s caring in all that she says to my mom and see it in all that she does for my Mom.

Kathy has also trained me to do a better job moving and rotating my Mom and avoiding bed sores. While we were waiting for a hospital bed she showed me how to do this and how to change Mom without needing to stand on the bed above her as I had been doing. She has made some suggestions on better pillows to help with her skin care. She is a role model for the other caregivers and tries to train them on what works best with Mom. On a day Kathy was not here one of my other BrightStar caregivers saved Mom’s life, noticing the signs of a stroke and calling 911.

During the blizzard Kathy made it here to make sure my Mom had care and stayed until relief arrived. I could say more, but Kathy is heads and shoulders above other CNAs and loves seniors and it shows and her clients clearly know it as well.

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