“Amanda not only cares for her residents and their families but also for her co-workers. She is at the heart and soul of the Pathways neighborhood.” - Gov. Tim Walz
A natural fit Pathways household coordinator earns state award Story By SAM WILMES editor@northfieldnews.com
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eing a caregiver is a natural fit for Three Links Pathways Household Coordinator Amanda Gruber. Her passion, fostered by her mother’s decades-long career in the field and a continuing interest in bettering the lives of dementia patients, has resulted in statewide recognition. In February, Gov. Tim Walz awarded Gruber as the Caregiver of the Year at the LeadingAge Minnesota Institute & Expo, the state’s largest aging services conference. A Faribault native, Gruber joined Three Links as a nursing assistant in 2007 and has since been promoted to household coordinator for Pathways, a 24-bed secure memory care area. She leads caregiver support groups, and her drive and com-
mitment to her profession has been consistently shown throughout her career. She completed the Health Support Specialist Apprenticeship program and serves as the site coordinator at Three Links. She smiles when recounting how happy residents are when she walks through the door. “They say they might not remember who you are but they remember how you made them feel,” she said. “If you’re not here, they miss you. They might not be able to say it in words, but they’ll say a smile, or they’ll hold their hands out and want to give you a hug. They’re just the best.” She sometimes meets with residents and families and shares Google Maps trips of their home neighborhoods, during which she maps out the trips via an iPad while drawing memories of favorite places and times. She is also known to sing to residents. Gruber’s caregiver involvement does not end when she leaves the facility. She is a family
Three Links Pathways Household Coordinator Amanda Gruber said she views her performance as a success if patients feel like she benefitted their quality of life while in the care of the facility. (Sam Wilmes/Northfield News) 6
NorthIeld
NOW- Spring 2020
