We are very proud to share that Cedar Creek’s own Jennese Stewart earned Lifespan’s Longterm Care Hero Award for 2022. This award recognizes everyday heroes in the community who go above and beyond to help make the world a better place. Jennese was one of five recipients honored at the 2022 Annual Conference and Expo in Ocean City, MD.  Throughout her career, Jennese has shined brightly as an exceptional caregiver and high-performing team member. Here’s a look back at how her career has evolved over the decades and how she earned this much-deserved award.

27 Years of Selfless Service

In the 27 years that Jennese has worked with Cedar Creek, she’s continually shown herself to be an exceptional care provider and an invaluable member of the team. She takes the initiative and takes care of what needs to be done around the community without being asked by a supervisor. She never shies away from hard work and always goes the extra mile to get the job done right. Her selfless nature and compassionate personality are a comfort to not only her residents but her fellow team members as well. Even in the face of difficulties, she remains steady as a beacon of strength and inspiration for the rest of the Cedar Creek staff.

These past two years of COVID have posed considerable challenges, but Jennese has taken these challenges in stride and helped the Cedar Creek team continue to provide a superior level of care. She quickly adhered to new standards and measures to keep residents safe and handle the challenging nature of the pandemic. Even in the face of staffing shortages, Jennese generously offered to cover shifts at any opportunity, even if it meant working during her weekends off. Her selfless and generous nature set a strong example for her coworkers and provided a morale boost to help the team get through even the hardest times. We truly couldn’t have gotten through the pandemic without the help of Jenesse and other caregivers who followed her example.

Dedication to Continuing Education in Her Field

Jennese has taken advantage of every educational opportunity and is always looking to deepen her knowledge with new skills to help her do her job even better. After taking an interest in end-of-life care, she became certified in hospice, and recently she became a skill evaluator for CPR. Jennese’s commitment to continuing education reflects her dedication to providing the best possible care for Cedar Creek residents. There’s no challenge too big and no certification too difficult for her to take on. As her time at Cedar Creek continues, Jennese will evolve her skill set, even more, to provide even better care for the residents she regards as members of her own family.

A Compassionate Member of the Family

With her warm nature and loving approach, Jennese cares for every resident as if they were her own cherished loved ones. In fact, the family members of our residents often come to think of Jennese as part of the family. Many have shared glowing reviews of Jennese and the care she provided for their family members during the end of their lives. One family member states, “At the end of her life, my mother went on hospice status but was still able to stay in the Cedar Glen residence until the end. Jennese was there for all of it, coordinating the combined care of Cedar Glen staff and hospice staff. She even made sure my mother’s nails and her hair was done so she looked lovely on that last day.”

Entrusting the care of your parent, grandparent or other loved one to a memory care home can be difficult, but Jenesse helps make the transition easy for both residents and their families. After spending just a few minutes with her, it becomes clear she’s exactly the kind of person you’d want caring for your family member at the end of their life. Her calm, personable and reassuring nature helps relieve stress from family caregivers, who can rest easy knowing their loved one is in great hands.

During moments of grief and hardship, Jennese is available to provide comfort and compassion, even going so far as spending sleepless nights holding the hand of dying residents whose families couldn’t be with them. As Jennese herself puts it, “When we have somebody in hospice and their family can’t be there, you just put yourself in their shoes. So I choose to stay there with them and comfort them.” This is a strong example of Jennese’s nature and how she goes the extra mile for her residents as if they were her own family.

Jennese provides invaluable comfort and strength during difficult times for not only her residents but her coworkers as well. She’s always available as a shoulder to cry on or a motivational voice for her team members when they’re feeling down. Whether they’re having an issue in their professional or personal lives, Jennese is always there to listen and offer words of strength and wisdom.

Thank You for Being a Lifespan Hero, Jennese!

We here at Cedar Creek, the best memory care facility, can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Jennese. She embodies what it means to be a Lifespan hero and is a shining example of the type of employee every senior living community needs on their team. If we could all be a little more like Jennese, the world would be a brighter place. Thank you for being a hero, Jennese. We’re extremely grateful to you and proud of your accomplishments.