WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO ACHIEVE AND WHO IS YOUR GREATEST INSPIRATION IN HEALTHCARE?Throughout my career, my motivation has been the health and well-being of older adults. It started in high school, when I joined a group of young, like-minded volunteers to do yard work for an older woman who lived alone. For a few hours, we pulled weeds and planted flowers. Afterward, our volunteer coordinator asked if we would like to meet the woman we had been gardening for. A small group of us ventured into her home, turned multiple corners, and found her in her bedroom. She was bedridden, and she could barely lift her head up to look outside and see what we were able to do for her. But what I remember most was how appreciative she was—not just because we were taking some time to help tend to her home, but also because we wanted to sit and visit with her for a moment. That day was momentous for me. It set off in me an understanding that there are so many older adults in this country who live alone and who are forgotten about. I felt that I had to do something to make up for how much I had overlooked older people in my community. From that point on, I started volunteering with older adults in all types of settings. I was a hospice volunteer for an older woman who needed someone to sit with her while her husband went out to run errands (I stayed friends with the husband until he passed two years ago). I volunteered at an assisted living facility, where I read, gave manicures, and painted with older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. And I worked as an ombudsman volunteer, serving as a resident advocate for residents living in nursing homes. Those volunteer experiences informed the course of my career, driving me to first pursue my nursing home administrator license and a long-term care administrator role at a continuing care retirement community. As I thought about the range of experiences faced by the friends I made in different long-term care settings, I realized that the quality of their care was driven by the resources they had. I remembered confronting a nursing home administrator as a volunteer ombudsman about the persistent smell of urine on their top floor. It was something they couldn’t fix with a sustainable solution because they simply couldn’t afford the renovation it would require. Those operational problems were on another level with what I faced at the community where I later worked. It seemed unfair to me that there is such a deep disparity in access to care based on what an older adult can afford at the time. The affordability of long-term care became something I was motivated to fix. I then transitioned from long-term care into health policy, ultimately finding my way to Capitol Hill. Here, I get to work on aging policy that promotes the health and well-being of all older adults, regardless of income status. And one day, I hope to find myself in the middle of the politically timely moment when we can take on the affordability of long-term care. The way I have presented this story, it seems that my career motivation is straightforward and reads easily on the page. But it takes work. This is especially the case when we transition from volunteer roles, where we can view issues from a perch of idealism and easily make the case for a better world. That’s much tougher to do so when you’re working as a professional, depending on a paycheck, trying to advocate for change from within. This is why I have relied on the wisdom of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. He implores us to always stay in proximity to those most in need. Mr. Stevenson may not be the most clear cut inspiration in health care, but that’s what he has been for me. It’s from his work that I have learned about the importance of maintaining closeness to the people and the issues you care about so you never forget what sparked your fire. For me, that has meant seeking opportunities to connect and volunteer with older adults, outside of my current job. This has helped me to always find my north star and to know that my guiding motivation is always present, never corrupted. I encourage everyone to find their motivation and to always work to cultivate it. It’s hard work, but it’s definitely worth it. About the Author: Kripa Sreepada currently serves as Health Policy Advisor to Sen. Tina Smith. She previously served as Health Care Legislative Assistant to Congressman Joseph Crowley, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Before working for Congress, Ms. Sreepada worked as an Associate Administrator at a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) and became a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) for the state of Connecticut. A native of Missouri, Ms. Sreepada has a lifelong passion for older adults and the multidimensional challenges of aging well in American society.
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