Pauline Ngangira outside “The Ranch” an adult care home she manages in Gresham.
While many of us have or will spend years in pursuit of our life’s calling, the path for Pauline Ngangira, house manager of “The Ranch” Adult Care Home (ACH) was revealed to her relatively early in life. When her grandmother was at the point where she could not live alone anymore, Pauline’s mother moved in with her to help with her caregiving needs. Seeing her mother’s commitment to compassionately caring for her grandmother sparked something deep inside of her.
“I would stay with my grandmother too and really enjoyed talking with her and providing company and comfort. It was at that point that I developed the love that I have for the elderly, and the inspiration to continue caring for my ladies.” The “ladies” referred to here are her five residents that live in the all-female ACH in the suburbs of Gresham. Three of the five are under the care of Housecall Providers Nurse Practitioner Barb Sutton.
“Having a primary care provider who is reachable when we have issues that are not necessarily emergencies, but which do require immediate advice, is more than just a benefit to us,” says Pauline. “It improves the quality of life for our residents, our family.”
Pauline, who immigrated to the U.S. from Kenya in 2017, appreciates the time that the primary care team takes to explain instructions and orders or go through something twice if necessary so that everyone is on the same page. It is one of the reasons she is so satisfied with the care offered by Housecall Providers.
“Considering that English is my second language, they are keen to have me understand what they mean, what they are saying,” says Pauline. “[ willing to listen to me when I ask a question. That means a lot to me and our residents.”
“When people are loved, they love.” Pauline Ngangira
Pauline’s philosophy of care is simple yet potent: Love. “We try to make our residents feel loved, appreciated, and don’t look down on them. We live like a family, and we love each other,” she says. Just a few feet off the back porch where residents often share meals or activities on nice days, a small birdhouse sits at eye level. Each year the birds build a nest, and the residents get to watch the babies grow up and fly away. It is just one of the special touches that make The Ranch more like a family home than a care facility.
“Pauline and her staff are great,” says Primary Care Provider Barb Sutton. “They are very loving and attentive to their residents and very welcoming to me when I visit. Because they do such a wonderful job with their care, other members of our care team (social worker, nursing, spiritual care) aren’t called upon so regular check-ins are usually all that they require.”
Having partners like Pauline in the care of our patients is collaboration in the truest sense of the word. Ultimately, they help us practice better medicine because health issues that crop up are dealt with quickly before they can become serious, which in turn puts less stress on the patient, caregiver and care team.
