For some residents at Bancroft Creek Estates, the morning starts with a knock on the door. For others, it’s a greeting in hallway or the dining room.
Either way, everyone – including colleagues – receives a warm welcome from Sabrina Ohl.
“Every day, she starts her day with a smile. It just makes the whole day for everybody,” says Good Samaritan Society – Albert Lea senior living supervisor Kaley Pobanz. “The residents feel the same way. If she's the person starting their day with them, she cares about how their day starts.”
Sabrina, a resident assistant medication aide, knows a thing or two about a good start.
“I have a picture that I made in kindergarten – and I still have it – of me being a nurse, and I had a nursery full of babies,” she says. “That was always my thought, that I would be in health care, taking care of people.”
Equipped with a workstation on wheels and a smile, Sabrina is in a league of her own when it comes to taking care of people. All you have to do is ask Bancroft Creek residents.
“You can just tell she has so much compassion. I think of her almost as a big sister. I can go to her about anything,” says Marian Ahnemann.
“She cares so much about everybody. She will do whatever she can to make you feel comfortable,” adds Merrill Mielke. “She's just a good friend. That's the best way to describe her.”
Giving through the gift of music
On a given day, Sabrina’s laundry list of resident-related tasks includes everything from wake-up schedules to baths to actual laundry.
“She takes on every task, every responsibility, every role full force with the most positive outlook,” Kaley says. “I don't ever have to worry when Sabrina's in this building. She is phenomenal.”
When Sabrina sits down during lunchtime, it’s often not at a table, but rather the piano in the dining room.
“The main thing that brings Sabrina and I together is the fact that she has such a love of music,” says Merrill, a retired band director.
The music doesn’t come from notes on a sheet. Sabrina plays it by ear, letting songs that she’s heard flow through her fingers.
“I felt like a bird in a cage when I was taking my piano lessons,” she says. “And then Mom said, ‘Just do your thing. Play the piano how you want.’”
It’s a gift that doesn’t go unnoticed.
“I’m just amazed at her, that she could just play anything you ask her to play,” says Marian. “It’s relaxing. She does a beautiful job.”
Sabrina, who sometimes comes in to play on her days off, feels the connection, too.
“I've had people say, ‘That was a song they played at my husband's funeral.’ Or it’s a song that maybe they had at their wedding, or just a song that they're familiar with. It was a memory for them that they cherished,” she says. “It lifts their spirits and it lifts mine too to know that it makes them happy.”
‘We all need each other’
While it’s easy to spot Sabrina shuffling down hallways and in and out of rooms, it’s the personal moments that resonate the most with those who call Bancroft Creek home.
“When you speak to her, she's in no hurry. She always has time no matter what,” says Marian.
“It's not a matter of in and out the door. And it isn't because she doesn't have so much to do – she does,” adds Merrill. “She moves pretty fast, but she never moves too fast to be pleasant to you.”
Sabrina believes a job title doesn’t make a person who they are – or what they can be for other people. That belief is at the heart of the care she provides.
“She always meets them with compassion,” Kaley says. “She asks how their day is, and she genuinely cares about how their day is.”
Recently, Sabrina’s morning started with something that wasn’t on the daily itinerary – comforting a resident who’d just lost her husband. They shared tears and hugs, just like family. Later, that resident would refer to Sabrina as an angel and a truly special person.
“We all need each other in one way or another,” Sabrina says. “I always try to think about people when I take care of them. It's the way I would want to be taken care of, or if it was my family.”
In Sabrina’s eyes, her relationship with residents is something that goes both ways.
“It's kind of like having a bunch of grandparents. They're looking out for you just as much. They want to make sure that you're OK,” Sabrina says. “I like that camaraderie. It feels like a home.”
National Ever Forward Caregiver Champion
Everything Sabrina does to provide compassionate care at Bancroft Creek is why she was recognized as the National Ever Forward Caregiver Champion.
The honor came as a shock to Sabrina.
“When I walked in, I realized all the eyes were on me. It just seemed so surreal,” she says. “I couldn't say enough. I was humbled and honored at the same time.”
But it was no surprise to those who see Sabrina in action every day.
“She embodies all of the good qualities that Good Samaritan stands for,” Kaley says. “She works hard, she is compassionate, she is patient, she is kind, she has the warmest smile. She is the best. There's no other way to put it.”
In the days following her surprise, Sabrina gave a lot of thought to the question: what is a caregiver? She felt it best to break it down by letter: Compassion, Agile, Respect, Empathy, Genuine, Inspiring, Vigilant, Empowering, Rewarding.
They’re some of the values she lives out every day with Good Samaritan.
“I care a lot about what I do. These people need us, and if they weren't here, we wouldn't be here for sure,” Sabrina says. “I am thankful to God because I feel like he's behind what I do here.”
