IT’S A BLESSING TO FIND a work environment that satisfies more than just the need for a paycheck, one in which committed staff members work together as a tight-knit team to make a vital difference in the lives of the clients they serve—and one in which management provides the support and encouragement staffers need to fulfill the organization’s goals and mission.
That may sound like a tall order, but it’s exactly what Darlene Cox, LPN, and Jayme Fronk, STNA, have found in their respective roles at The Gardens of St. Francis, a CHI Living Community located in Oregon, Ohio.
Cox serves as clinical coordinator for The Gardens of St. Francis and has worked on the campus for nine years, since before CHI took over the facility from The Little Sisters of the Poor in 2019. A nurse for over 16 years, Cox loves her job and finds caring for the elderly especially gratifying. “When I first started working in this field, I was in long-term care, and sometimes the staff members were the only people the residents had in their lives. They knew we were the ones they could trust, lean on, and depend on for care,” she recalls.
Cox was drawn to working with the elderly in part because in our society, they tend to be the most forgotten and overlooked population. She finds this societal tendency regrettable not only because it diminishes seniors, but also because it deprives the rest of us of their unique wisdom, history, and experiences.
Though she could care for the elderly in any number of settings, Cox remains strongly committed to The Gardens of St. Francis. Why? “The Gardens of St. Francis is different from other facilities,” she explains. “We’re unique in that we’re genuinely like a family, not a big corporate, for-profit entity. The parts of the job I like best are my coworkers, getting to know family members, and taking care of residents. Also, our communication here is just outstanding—the way we talk to one another and laugh together.”
As a highly satisfied employee, Cox frequently encourages others to join the Gardens of St. Francis team. “I always tell people to come work here and what a beautiful place it is. When you go to other facilities, you often find they’re very hospital-like, but here it’s like home. From the moment you walk in, you get a peaceful, warm, familiar feeling,” she says.
Fronk, who has been at The Gardens of St. Francis since May of 2021 and previously worked at the Ursuline Center for 11 years, never envisioned a career caring for the elderly. In fact, she earned a bachelor’s degree in history, anticipating that she would either pursue teaching or attend law school. “Then, in 2006, I became an STNA and found that I really liked it,” she recalls. “Working with the elderly wasn’t really on my radar before that, but I sort of fell into it and now I feel it’s a blessing. As people get older and develop disabilities, our society neglects them in a way. We have the opportunity to step in and be there for them in this very vulnerable stage of their lives.”
Fronk finds that she and her coworkers gain much more from the residents than they give to them, noting that it’s a joy and privilege to work with this population as friends and peers. “No matter what kind of day I’m having, the residents bring a smile to my face with the stories and jokes they tell. I’m blessed to be part of their lives and to get to know them and their families,” she adds.
Like Cox, Fronk appreciates the unique atmosphere and working environment at The Gardens of St. Francis, and she’s always happy to come to work. “I have great coworkers, and wonderful, very understanding bosses. When the Ursuline Center closed, I didn’t think I’d find a place with a similar philosophy again, but The Gardens of St. Francis comes very close. The mission of The Little Sisters of the Poor, which is essentially caring for each person as if they were Christ, obviously continues here under CHI,” she says.
