story and photo by
Vickie Jenkins, staff writer
Located at 3844 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Warr Acres, OK you will find Home Instead Senior Care. This facility offers a range of services to seniors who need assistance to better balance their lives. Here, you will find Kim Kennon, RN, a highly qualified nurse with 13 years of nursing experience.
Home Instead offers personal care through our CNA’s and caregivers, including services involving memory care for Alzheimer’s and dementia, hospice care, meal preparation, transportation, housekeeping, medication reminders and chronic illness care. Balancing work and other life responsibilities can be overwhelming, but Home Instead’s services help you regain a sense of control and feel at ease when you can’t always be present for your loved one. Our compassionate and professional caregivers provide the relief and support our clients need and deserve.
With a friendly smile, Kim said, “I love my job. Even though we are a small office, we continue to grow. This private duty nursing company for senior care offers customized care plans with top-quality care. When a client needs constant personal health care assistance to ensure their safety, we are here for them.”
Kim grew up in Kingfisher, OK and attended school at Redlands in El Reno. “When I was young, I wanted to be a pharmacist, but later, pursued nursing,” she said. Her first job as a nurse was in MedSurg department at Kingfisher Hospital. She then worked at Mercy Home Health, where she developed an interest in case management. Now, she works at Home Instead. Her duties include training new caregivers, conducting client assessments and ensuring everything runs smoothly in the office. There are about 70 caregivers, some of whom are CNA’s, all striving to be respectable to the seniors and their families.
When asked what qualities make a good nurse, Kim replied,” I think one of the most important qualities is paying close attention to detail. A nurse needs to be able to see the big picture. Last but not least, every nurse needs to have a heart,” she said with a smile.
“Sometimes, working at Home Instead can be challenging, especially when a client needs our services for a longer period of time, but they can’t afford it,” Kim commented. “That makes me want to care even more about our seniors and check into other ways that we might be able to help,” she added.
“A reassuring sign that things are going in the right direction is when we meet our clients needs. I say WE because here at Home Instead, we are a team and get along well together. Even though we are a small office, we achieve big things. I am so proud of our team, standing strong in their own special way.”
Kim’s strengths include the ability to keep everything in scope, maintain a smooth workflow and ensure everything stays on track. She is especially detail-oriented and pays close attention to each situation. “I feel like I have a special way of explaining things to clients whether it’s a question about insulin, wound care or their medication. All the medical details are charted, and I make sure there is no misunderstanding,”she said.
When asked what keeps her motivated at work, Kim replied, “I think it is our team. We are like a family. We try to stay positive in everything we do. How we act reflects back to our clients. When they are happy, we are happy,” she commented. “We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from our clients and their families. That makes me feel very proud of the people at Home Instead Senior Care,” she added.
When Kim is not working, she enjoys spending time with her 11-year- old, son, Daniel. “He is into sports, especially basketball and loves doing anything outside. I guess you could call me one of those ‘sports moms’ because I enjoy watching his basketball games,” she said. “He is also big into playing video games and that is a losing battle for me, no matter how much I try to keep up.”
