Everyday Heroes: Dolly Griffith

Spectrum Health Care is so proud of our health care professionals who go out and administer care every day.

Our personal support workers, nurses, and senior companions provide care to our patients during some of their most difficult times. Now more than ever, our health care team shows us what resiliency and compassion look like. They show us what it means to be Everyday Heroes.

Meet Dolly Griffith

Dolly is a dedicated PSW working out of our Toronto branch. She cares deeply for her patients and takes care of them to the best of her abilities. We recently received a letter written from a patient's family praising Dolly for the amazing work that she is doing.

A letter from a Spectrum family

In May 2021 my husband suffered a stroke which significantly affected his cognitive function. My husband cannot shower himself, nor dress himself safely. His balance and cognitive function are affected.

Since September 2021 my husband has received excellent care from Dolly, a Spectrum Health Care PSW.

Every weekday morning Dolly showers and dresses him. She tidies the bathroom afterwards and ensures that he is safely “handed” back to me.

Dolly is an amazing, energetic, and friendly PSW. She is empathetic, kind, and cheerful. Dolly alerts me to any issues that she notices with my husband and suggests ways for me to address the situation. She arrives promptly and greets us with a cheerful smile. If she is late due to traffic or a previous client, she always phones me to let me know if she is delayed. Dolly has a great sense of humour. She knows when I give her a “look” (behind my mask) exactly what I am thinking and nods assurance to me that she understands that my husband may be mixed up.

When I was considering this email, I asked my husband what he would say if someone asked him about Dolly. He answered, “I like Dolly. She is friendly and patient. She makes me laugh. I feel safe with her. She is reasonable in terms of what she asks me to do. She listens to my requests. Dolly is kind to me.”

I am so grateful that my husband has Dolly as his PSW. Clearly, he is completely safe with her. I can trust her. I thank you so much for choosing Dolly as his caregiver.

Thank you Dolly

This story was shared with permission from the patient's family.