A family member of a patient shared the following story. Jill Kierscht was instrumental in the care of my father when he entered the nursing home. Jill was there for our mother and our family from the first few days and every step of his care. My father was diagnosed with dementia in his late 50s. We had begun seeing signs of memory loss and behavior changes about 3-5 years prior to his official diagnosis.  When my father had a heart attack and was not safe to return home, my mother struggled with the decision to place her 63-year-old husband into a memory care unit.

Jill was instrumental in making our family feel at ease. She was a champion for non-traditional aspects of care, such as a non-traditional diet, using medications cautiously, and ordering cocktails for him to enjoy with his adult children.

Jill would take extra time to sit and chat with my mother, or any of us kids. I remember she was planning her yearly vacation on the lake and she would go above and beyond to call the nursing homes to check up on her residents prior to her vacation. She did the same for our family. She made sure our mother was aware she was going to be out of town but would call and check on our father. The same week Jill was on vacation my father passed away. Jill followed up with my mother apologizing for not being there when mom needed her the most. Jill also reached out to me, giving me hugs and apologizing for not being there that day. Jill’s heart, compassion, commitment, and expertise is what makes her an outstanding person, as well as, an outstanding provider!  When you are a patient of Jill Kierscht you are treated like royalty and you are family.

- Submitted by Jill’s colleagues at Crawford County Memorial Hospital, Denison, IA