SYNERGY Home Care 2013 Caregiver of the Year
Siling Zhu
SYNERGY HomeCare was honored to present the 2013 Caregiver of the Year award to Siling Zhu, a caregiver for our San Mateo, California location. This award is the highest honor a caregiver can earn with SYNERGY HomeCare
Nomination from Saili Gosula, owner of the SYNERGY HomeCare San Mateo Location
Siling has been our #1 caregiver as long as she’s worked for us. She is a dream for her clients and to us in administration. She always goes above and beyond. She is devoted, flexible, and helpful to everyone. We know we can count on her. She is deeply responsible and loyal.”
“We have been able to place Siling in a variety of assignments, and we received exceptional feedback on every one of them. We find Siling to be a truly gifted caregiver, as she is able to adapt and comfort clients with such varied needs and expectations. Her eyes see what other people don’t see, and her heart connects in a way most people don’t know how. We asked the families that were touched by Siling’s gift to provide some feedback on her. This is just a sample of what we constantly hear about Siling.”
Joe P.
“Siling was supposed to care for my wife exclusively. She had lung cancer and was on hospice. Siling was with us through the day Joanne left us, and as it turned out, a little longer too. Siling watched out for me too, and made sure I took care of myself and ate. Joanne wasn’t eating well, so Siling (who is a gourmet cook), went out of her way to prepare soups and things she’d like. She even came by when it wasn’t her shift to help the other caregiver with the Hoyer lift. Joanne passed away the day before Thanksgiving. Siling did not leave when she passed away; she insisted on accompanying me to the undertaker, to help make the arrangements for the funeral and cremation. All through this, I thought she was going to break down but she kept a stiff upper lip for me. Siling invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her family. I politely refused. On Thanksgiving day, she told me that she had left some things of hers in the bathroom upstairs and wanted to know if she could come get them. I said that was okay. She arrived with a whole Thanksgiving dinner for me, complete with stuffing and pie. She obviously did these things off the clock because she really cared. She said I was her honorary grandfather. She’s the greatest, did everything she could for Joanne, and things we didn’t even think of. Joanne enjoyed her and felt comforted by her.”
Mike M.
My wife Shellie has Alzheimer’s disease and was diagnosed when she was 57 years old. I took early retirement three years later, and am her full-time caregiver. As such, I was in need of a time during the day when I could get away, do chores, take a class or just take a hike in the foothills.”
“I have been so fortunate. Siling is just the exact right person to be with Shellie. The moment Siling came to our house, she took care of my wife in a loving, friendly manner. Siling interacted in a special way with Shellie; a tough task. In just a short time, Siling was able, through observation, to know Shellie’s way of communication and respond in like manner.”
“Siling is the kind of caregiver who assesses each situation. She could tell what Shellie needed at every moment, whether it was a snack, a drink, some fun interaction, a walk around the block, or just some quiet time to lie down and rest or nap. Shellie reacts with a knowing smile whenever Siling comes over.”
“I have come to rely on Siling to take charge when I leave the house and to report to me when I return. She is able to notice positive, negative, physical and emotional changes, and then tell me what she’s observed, and offer suggestions. Her young age belies her maturity.”
“Siling always has a smile and laugh from the start to the end of her visit. If she is having a bad day, she never has let on. She gives my wife her 100% undivided attention, which I appreciate.”
“Siling was just the person to help both myself and my wife out, during this journey of dementia. I am most thankful for her being in our lives.”
Lisa T.
“Siling has been like an addition to our family. She has a true caregiver’s heart, taking the time to truly understand my grandfather and communicate her observations, which is a great help to other staff and our family. Siling’s patient and pleasant nature, coupled with her very real interest in my grandfather’s welfare, makes her a true asset not only to SYNERGY HomeCare, but to all those who work with her. I look forward to seeing Siling when I visit; as I know she will keep me up-to-date on various medical and personal issues surrounding the care of my grandfather.”
Before Siling, we truly worried about my grandfather when had to be moved temporarily to a skilled nursing facility. I felt compelled to check on him all the time just to ensure his well-being. He wasn’t eating, and seemed to have no will to live. We believed he was near death. Once Siling came aboard, it didn’t take long to realize that my grandfather was in good hands. She accomplished what no one else had been able to do, including all other caregivers, and the staff at the facility: she got him to eat. He quickly gained weight and the changes in him were visible. I was able to relax and my visits became more about him than the details surrounding his care.”
“Siling is doing something she loves and it shows. That love translates to the people she cares for – they know that she is committed to their care for reasons over and above a paycheck. Siling embodies what caregiving is really all about.”
