Hyacinth S. has helped keep Christian Health Care Center clean and orderly since 2006.
She is proud of the important role she plays in making life better for those who live here at our Lynden health care center.
“Everyone here plays a part in the management of the facility,” she said. “It helps the residents feel better having a clean environment, and we help make sure their needs are met. Everyone works together for the residents’ well-being.”
Because housekeepers are in and out of resident rooms every day, they can build special relationships with those who live here, Hyacinth said.
“Housekeeping is a great way to interact with residents,” she said. “To the extent that we can, we do a lot of talking with them. I enjoy that.”
Hyacinth said she works hard to learn residents’ routines so she can care for them better. For example, she said, some are later risers, and some prefer to have their rooms cleaned at certain times.
“Getting to know their routines better means you can do your job better,” she said. “You can learn the particulars of how they like things placed, or you can get their room clean while they are in the dining room, if they prefer that.”
The housekeeping team also works closely with the maintenance crew to ensure that anything that needs addressing is taken care of promptly.
“Because we are in their rooms every day, we can see and report things that need fixing, like if lights are out,” she said.
Typical tasks for the housekeeping and laundry teams include emptying the trash from common areas and resident rooms, collecting laundry to be washed and cleaning and disinfecting the facility daily (a task that has existed at CHCC since long before the pandemic started).
“I like my job,” Hyacinth said. “Our team is a great bunch, and management supports us well. I would recommend it. It could be hard work for some people, but it’s rewarding. We are all here to help make every day for residents the best they can be.”