Velda Capps - Carolina Village

Partial Transcript: Velda was very young when she started and was surprised at how much she learned from the residents through the stories being told.

Keywords: health care

Subjects: Velda starts her career

Partial Transcript: Carolina Village was started by a group of local people who recognized the need for residential care with medical services and activities suitable for people who are aging but still active. From its beginning, it has been like a family. Some people think they go to a retirement setting to die, but CV offers so much more. For one thing, it is a Continuous Care Retirement Center where people can live independently but have medical care available as they need it.

Keywords: Continuous Care Retirement Center; residential care

Subjects: The start of Carolina Village

Partial Transcript: The nursing staff is higher than other facilities. At some places you may have 28-30 residents for one nurse; our ratio is 1 CNA for seven residents and 1 nurse for 14-15 residents. The nights are cut down a little; we only have 5 CNAs in the building for 60 residents and two nurses available on the night shift.

Keywords: CNA

Subjects: Nursing staff

Partial Transcript: One of the hardest things to learn was where everything was located because it was so big. One time when I was new, I heard the emergency bell and ran down one corridor, then back and down another one. I was frantic. I was running and saw some people from admin who said wait a minute, but I said it was an emergency and I needed to find it. It was a test of how long it took to respond, but I learned we had a board in the nurses’ station that would tell us where we needed to be.

Keywords: hardest things to learn

Subjects: Learning new things

Partial Transcript: I started as a staff nurse working 11-7 shifts and some 3-11. Then I became an in-service director working with new staff training. Then I was assistant director of nurses and director of nursing for 15 years. Then I became director of health services for the next 13 years. We had a lot of benefits and not part of a bigger corporation. We follow the rules and everybody is everybody works together. When it snowed, people brought their kids to work and they played outside. People took care of each other’s children.

Keywords: director of health services

Subjects: Velda's career path

Partial Transcript: I decided to cut down on work but couldn’t do it. What will I do now? I missed seeing everybody. You are not a number at Carolina Village. You hear many inspiring stories that touch your heart. I remember one particular resident had a terminal illness. I started visiting her and she had a picture with Christ and a lamb which she found comforting. When she passed, I was given the picture which is hanging in my office because it reminds me of her and the caring we provide here.

Keywords: inspiring stories

Subjects: Velda cares very much for the residents.

Partial Transcript: There is a lot of love for residents and coworkers, even when there are disagreements. It depends on whether you handle things positively or negatively. We try to do a little extra for the residents when we can, like helping with putting on makeup. We try to help co-workers such as when somebody’s house burned down or deaths in the family. Staff do not regularly accept gifts from residents unless there is a major issue and approval. When I missed work, residents would ask how I was doing.

Keywords: love

Subjects: Caring for the residents and co-workers

Partial Transcript: When snowstorms happen, staff will stay over so they will be there for work. We will watch TV, popcorn, and hang around so everybody gets to know each other.

Keywords: snowstorms

Subjects: Fun

Partial Transcript: I am from Toledo Ohio but my brother was down here so I came and got nurses training. I got married and stayed here. I wouldn’t move back north because of the snow. We have residents from all over. I don’t know how they hear about CV. I look forward to the time when I will be living here but not now.

Keywords: residents from all over

Subjects: Coming to Carolina Village