Above and Beyond: Every day, Kathleen Quinn Kagel shows up to Holy Family Home ready to be there for her residents and colleagues

When you think of a licensed staff member at a senior care facility, they should be very skilled at interacting with elderly adults, along with being dedicated to their work. And while the level to which this is shown is different for each licensed staff member, LeadingAge Pennsylvania recognizes who they think best embodies someone who provides excellent clinical care while also maintaining a particular level of professionalism and leadership.

This year, LeadingAge PA has decided to pass the torch of Licensed Caregiver of the Year from Len Hoolahan to Kathleen Quinn Kagel. LeadingAge PA feels as though Kagel really represents all licensed staff members well, and after speaking with many of her coworkers and colleagues, it is difficult to disagree.

“I have worked at Holy Family Home for over 30 years, first as business manager and then later also as administrator. As administrator I worked closely with Kathy when she was ADON and later DON. The more I got to know her, the more I came to admire and respect her,” Holy Family Home Administrator Patricia Lo said. “She has a great love for the residents – you can see it in the way her face would light up as she talks with them in a loving, teasing way.”

The way Kagel interacts with her residents is very special. She has a unique bond with them all, making them feel comfortable, and when new residents move in, they feel right at home because of Kagel’s welcoming heart.

Being Director of Nursing is a high honor in any capacity, and when you get put in the position because your colleagues have recommended you, that is a different feeling. It shows how great of a person you are, and how right you are for the position, and that is what makes Kagel being in that position so special.

“Upon my transfer from the facility, I highly recommended Kathy for the DON position,” Sr. Amy Fickett, RN said. “Her intellectual and nursing skills only augmented her natural love and dedication toward the elderly. She knew every detail about each resident, their families, or responsible parties within the facility. Kathy is a very bright, friendly and compassionate nurse. She is prompt, dependable, organized and very competent in all her nursing skills.”

Kagel takes her job very seriously. Her being a nurse alone shows just how much she loves to care for others, but the fact that she takes her nursing skills to the next level as DON of a senior care facility, you really can tell just how much she cares. She is super selfless and finds a way to get to know each and every one of her patients.

In fact, when Kagel shows up to work each day, she makes sure she cares about the residents above all else.

“Kathy has provided loving care, reassurance, comfort and support to countless residents and their families, working long hours to make sure their needs are met,” Little Sisters of the Poor said. “In turn, the residents have given her much joy and are a source of inspiration to her. She says that she is amazed at not only their will to live and their strength in time of illness, but also by their faith and acceptance of whatever life has in store for them. Working at the home is more than a job; it is Kathy’s vocation and mission, and it’s like being with her second home and family.”

Day in and day out, Kagel shows up and treats her residents like she treats her family. She makes them feel nothing short of loved and appreciated, and that is something that cannot be emphasized enough.

What Kagel also does is a great job at communicating with her residents. She will walk them through what she is doing – showing a lot of transparency in the process – rather than just assuming they understand. She knows transparency is something a lot of patients appreciate, which is why she provides it for them.

“When Kathy provides care to the resident, she will explain what she is doing and then have a conversation with them while she is working,” Holy Family Home said. “If a resident is having a health issue, she will ask them detailed questions in a respectful manner, trying to get as much of their input as possible. After doing some research and consulting with the doctor, she will then explain the issue to the resident and go over some treatment options. She tries to make sure the residents have the information they need to understand the situation and to make informed decisions.”

Not only does Kagel provide transparency and comfort, she also just makes sure she looks out for the good of the residents. She weighs the options set forth for them, and provides those options accordingly. She finds that balance of providing longevity along with peace of mind, and the understanding of many of her patients also helps.

“Her work ethic, attention to detail, and excellent nursing skills have helped Holy Family Home receive a number of deficiency-free surveys and years of five-star ratings,” Lo said. “Most importantly, she has and imparts the loving, family spirit of the Little Sisters of the Poor and she supports their mission of caring for the elderly poor and accompanying them on their final phase of their journey.”

Having a colleague like Kagel is sure to make anyone’s job easier, and it sure makes it easier for everyone at Holy Family Home. She takes pride in her work and she takes pride in making seniors feel wanted and feel as though they are not aging a day.

“Kathy is very dedicated and committed to providing quality care to our residents,” Holy Family Home said. “She works late, making sure all the orders and notes are done before she leaves. She has always put the Home and the residents’ needs first and foremost. She would never leave the facility short staffed. She has always planned ahead and stayed over at the Home when there was any concern about staff shortage during a snowstorm, even though she lives in New Jersey and works in Philadelphia.”

Kagel is more than honored to take the trek every day she works because that is how much she cares about the residents of Holy Family Home. She also does not mind staying late when needed because she believes that is her call of duty. She goes above and beyond each and every day, and she is not afraid to put in the extra hours.

Kagel does not just make a massive impact on the residents either, as her coworkers speak super highly of her time and again.

“We are most blessed to have Kathy at our Home as a wonderful, compassionate clinician; a dedicated, hardworking staff member; and a caring friend,” Lo said. “She is also loyal – she just celebrated 50 years of working for the Little Sisters of the Poor.”

“She routinely accompanies the Primary Care Physicians and Consultants when they make rounds with the residents and thus, the residents are very comforted by her presence and confident that they are receiving the best of care,” Fickett exclaimed.

Kagel’s impact is well documented and the impression she makes on the community is well received. She could be seen as an irreplaceable presence at Holy Family Home, and that is one of the reasons why she is the 2024 Licensed Caregiver of the Year Award winner.