Meet Christine Slater, 2024 Spirit Award Winner

Editor’s Note: McKnight Long Term Care News, McKnight Seniors Residence And McKnight Home Care profile the McKnight The 2024 Women of Distinction Award recipients will be honored daily from July 1 to August 13. For more information McKnight Content Women of Distinction, visit this page.

Since 2013, Christine Slater has held various positions at HomeWell Care Services, ranging from care supervisor to care manager, but she found that something was missing in her management roles. While she was an effective leader in these positions, she had a strong desire to return to her fulfilling work as a caregiver.

Whether it’s comforting a client displaced by Hurricane Ian or working multiple shifts in a 16-hour day, her commitment to quality care doesn’t stop when she’s not at work. She’s an expert not only at providing effective care, but also at building relationships with the clients she serves, according to her colleagues, who said even the most hesitant clients eventually warm up to Slater when she takes the time and effort to get to know them and what they value. They said she even deep-cleaned a 100-year-old client’s kitchen, including the refrigerator, which hadn’t been cleaned in years.

“Christine is caring, patient and compassionate, even in the most difficult situations with her clients,” said her nominator. “She embodies the qualities we all look for in a caregiver for our loved ones or even ourselves. She provides all aspects of quality care with reliable and trusted expertise, prioritizing the peace of mind of all those entrusted to our care.”

• Last winter, Slater spent more than two hours shoveling snow from her driveway just to prepare for a possible call during a snowstorm with freezing air temperatures.
• She received HomeWell’s 2023 Heart of HomeWell Award, the brand’s most prestigious recognition, given annually to a caregiver for being the most accurate representation of the company’s values.
• She formed a strong bond with a former client, taking him to shared meals at her agency offices, on trips to the zoo and to her favorite restaurants. They even dressed up together for Halloween.

THE McKnight Women of Distinction The program is jointly administered by McKnight Long Term Care News, McKnight Seniors Residence And McKnight Home Care. Healthcare Services Group was this year’s Platinum Sponsor. McKnight Women of Distinction Awards and Forum. PointClickCare was the Gold Sponsor and PharMerica was the Silver Sponsor. Other sponsors included Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Easyshifts, Hireology, Reliant Rehabilitation, ShiftKey and Sentrics.

Visit this webpage to see lists of 2024 and previous recipients.