Taylor Knauss, HH&H
You truly never know what type of influence you’ll have on someone’s life. Kristen Hajek knew from the young age of ten that she wanted to be a nurse. That year, she was diagnosed with diabetes. She loved the nurses who helped take care of her in the hospital, and from that positive interaction, she was influenced to pursue a career in nursing. In 2010, she graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Kristen has been with Home Health and Hospice of Dickinson County (HH&H) for 11 years, providing service to the Herington area. As a Registered Nurse, Kristen has a lot of responsibilities within the agency. On the home health side, she “helps homebound patients by providing them with care in the home to help prevent re-hospitalizations, provides education on new medications/diagnosis, wound care, medication management, and education. With hospice, she is there to help “educate patients and family on what to expect as someone is going through the dying process, and to keep patients comfortable as they end their earthly life.”
When you work for HH&H, it’s a given that you will work with a multitude of different people. Kristen states that one of the most rewarding parts of her job is “getting to know people. I enjoy seeing my patients out and about after having cared for them!” Kristen gave a short anecdote regarding a patient who used to call the Herington office to either ask what time it was, or let the ladies in the office know the price of eggs in town, “I wonder what she would think of egg prices today!” But where there is reward, there is also, normally, challenge. Kristen’s biggest struggle is non-compliance. “Trying to help those who don’t want to help themselves. But, also learning that just because I want someone to do something one way, does NOT mean that they should or they will. I have learned to adapt and care for patients based on who they are.” HH&H is a unique department, staff go into patients’ homes to help them, and sometimes adjustments have to be made from the “norm” to help accommodate what works best for our patients. Clinical staff do their best to provide the best care possible, no matter the situation, and Kristen is a wonderful example of that dedication. She also mentioned that a lot of families have a misconception of medications in a hospice setting, such as morphine. This is a drug used at the end of life to help with restlessness, anxiety, and shortness of breath. “We hear too many horror stories regarding narcotics that scare families when they hear the word. It’s used toward the end of life to provide comfort.”
Kristen is a mom of three lovely kids, lives on a farm, and has taken up coaching youth sports such as soccer and T-ball! Eventually, when she has free time again, she would like to start playing golf regularly and playing the viola again! She played both in high school and enjoyed it! Her friends would describe her as fun-loving, caring, and goofy. Even though she can be goofy, she would drop everything to help someone in a heartbeat. To add to her goofy nature, when she’s had a bad day, she will take 30 seconds to just laugh. “Just start laughing. And then you laugh that you’re laughing at nothing. Then others around you start laughing, or looking at you funny, but at least you feel happier and can see the tough day or moment in a new light.” Honestly, it’s great advice. Another piece of advice Kristen has for everyone is regarding nursing home care. “If you ever think that living life in a nursing home is an option, or even if you don’t get your affairs in order once you turn 65. Get your DPOA paperwork filled out. Do you own a house? Land? I’ve had way too many patients with money in the bank, land, etc., who wanted to pass them down to family. Most people can’t afford to live in a nursing home on their income alone– so they need Medicaid to help with payment. Medicaid has a look-back period, and can go back five years to look at finances. If you sell land or give away large amounts of money, you can be denied Medicaid assistance. We never know what is going to happen to us. Dementia, stroke, etc., can lead us to a nursing home when we hoped and prayed we would stay in our own home until we pass.” This has been Kristen’s biggest life lesson working through HH&H, and one that I personally am learning as well. Preparing for our future is imperative. Wrapping up with Kristen, I asked her if there was anything else she wanted to share, and she stated, “Be kind. Always.” Thank you, Kristen, for all that you do for our HH&H patients, families, and our agency! We couldn’t do it without you! Interested in more stories like Kristen’s? Sign up to get The Health Monitor emailed to you monthly!
