Kimberly Kramer, BS, LNHA is a new social worker at the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis (VNA), whose vast experience in senior care and passion for VNA’s personalized approach makes her a great asset to their team.
Kimberly’s Background
Kimberly started her time as an undergraduate studying social work but decided to transition to gerontology, after deciding to pursue a more specialized track of study that reflected her passion for seniors.
After graduating, she worked at long-term care facilities while getting her license to be a nursing home administrator. Following her successful completion of that licensure, she was an administrator in local long-term care facilities for fourteen years. After that, she was Regional Executive Director for long-term care communities.
Working with VNA
While working as a regional executive director, Kimberly collaborated with VNA and their nursing staff to care for her patients. This began her interest in VNA’s services and philosophy, and after leaving her position to spend more time with family, she decided to come on board as a social worker to further invest in the VNA mission.
“It happened to work out that they had a flexible PRN position, but I definitely sought out VNA because of their philosophy,” says Kimberly. “And they are a nonprofit company that is definitely patient-centered and supportive of the family, and I was able to see that in the past.”
What do Social Workers do?
Kimberly sees education as one of her primary responsibilities as a social worker, though she acts as an all-around resource to seniors and caregivers to get them connected with the tools and services they need. She educates families on topics such as end of life issues, patient rights, living wills, advanced directives, durable power of attorney, financial planning and disability and insurance coverage.
“I look forward to the one-on-one interactions and support I can provide to personalize people’s care needs as a social worker,” says Kimberly. “That’s definitely one of the attractive things about VNA. When you work in a long-term care community, there are a lot of different options to care for patients and residents. You need to have people who have the same philosophies and care that you want. That’s why I chose [VNA].”
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