Mrs. Patricia Kates was a very forward thinking woman. She recognized that people with Alzheimer’s Disease were often misunderstood and not treated well. She decided to remedy this by rewarding and encouraging special efforts toward their care among those professionals in health organizations. Toward this end she established an endowment with an annual “Caring Care Award” to be presented to great care givers.
Originally from a prominent Bay Area family and a former Atherton resident, she had moved the family to Los Angeles, so she began her efforts by working with a Southern California hospital with an Alzheimer’s program. That hospital eventually went out of the Alzheimer’s care business, however, leaving her endowment without an effective way to accomplish what she had established as its cause.
Her surviving children, Mrs. Deborah Streiber of Los Angeles and Mr. John and Mrs. Gene Kates of Atherton, have graciously continued her legacy by moving that endowment fund to Rosener House, in order to honor 2 deserving professionals each year, who demonstrate exceptional care and humanity toward clients struggling with Alzheimer’s.
Members of the Kates family, their guests, Peninsula Volunteers, the Rosener House Committee, Rosener and other PVI staff were on hand at our very first Kates Awards ceremony on Feb. 13th to present the awards. (Not coincidentally, this was scheduled to coincide with what would have been Patricia Kates’ 100th birthday.)
This year’s awardees were:
- Marie St. Lezin, Art Specialist & Activity Leader. Her creativity and talent in art is demonstrated in her work in the art studio with participants and in leading the Memories in the Making classes. Memories in the Making is an Alzheimer’s Association program emphasizing the process of making art, highlighting reminiscing and social interaction. Marie’s gentle and attentive manner is effective in dealing with potentially difficult situations, where a participant may need reassurance. We are pleased to present to Marie St. Lezin the Irene and George Roos Award for Patient Caring Care for 2012.
- Jackie O’Neill, Certified Nursing Assistant. She provides assistance in activities of daily living to participants, and she is the personification of going above and beyond. She stops to bring in newspapers for all the participants in the morning, and clearly enjoys taking care of people, staff members and participants alike. She is most generous of her time in dealing with each participant individually, treating everyone with the utmost respect and dignity, in sometimes very personal situations. Jackie is able to put participants at ease, with her supportive and caring approach to personal care. Her work is of a very sensitive nature, and participants are obviously relieved of any anxiety when Jackie is working with them. We are pleased topresent to Jackie O’Neill the Arthur J. Kates Award for Patient Caring Care for 2012
Peninsula Volunteers and our whole Rosener House family truly appreciate this very special gift of support to show how valuable a single caring individual can be to someone struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Thank you Kates family!
Tags: "adult day care", "Alzheimer's Association", "Menlo Park", "Peninsula Volunteers", "San Mateo County", activity, adult, aged, aging, Alzheimer's, art, award, care, care-giver, caregiver, caring, disability, disabled, elder, elderly, endowment, Kates, mid-peninsula, old, oldest, Peninsula, programs, Rosener House, services, Streiber