Merle has been a nursing assistant since 1992.  He has worked at Countryside in that capacity since 1994 and says, “that is when I found my true work home.”  Merle has dedicated the last 19 years of his life to serving the elderly which is his true passion.  He stumbled onto this career when his wife worked in a nursing home as a nursing assistant and Merle worked in maintenance.  When he found that he was spending most of his time helping the residents instead of fixing things and he was really enjoying it, he decided to make the career change official.  He attended Waubonsee Community College to become a Certified Nursing Assistant and the rest is history. At 61 years old, Merle says he has extra compassion for the elderly since he is getting there himself!

When you ask Merle what he likes most about his job, he just smiles.  It is almost as if he cannot put it into words.  “It is just a feeling that I get when I work with these people.  They have so much knowledge about the past that they want to share with me and it is really so interesting to listen to what they have to say.  They really can take you back in time to when there were horse drawn carriages and they used to hitch up the horses and plow the fields by hand.”  Merle says he likes to return the favor of their good stories by singing to them.  While he cares for his residents, Merle can often be found singing a tune from the 60's or 70's and sometimes his residents will tap their foot or sing along with him. He takes great pride in brining satisfaction and pleasure to people that are dependent upon him for help.

When Merle’s shift is over, you should not be surprised to see him still hanging around to spend even more time here with his “friends.”  Merle engages in card games of Euchre and Gambler with several of the residents after his shift is over.  They have an ongoing contest to see who wins the most. (Merle is only ahead by 2 at last count!)  Merle taught the residents these card games and they have gone on to teach their families and play cards even when Merle is not around to hone their skills.  When Merle finally goes home for the evening, his work continues where he is the care giver for his sister in the evening.  It seems, his work is never quite done.

Merle is not just the aide that takes care of his residents.  He is their friend. He is their confidant. He is their entertainer.  He is their care giver.  He is their HERO.

We are proud to have Merle on our team!  Keep up the good work!