A Look Back At Our 2020 Home Care Aide Scholarship Winners

CellTrak was founded with the caregiver in mind, hoping to make communication between caregivers and their agencies easier, reduce documentation time, and facilitate better care in the home. Today, 15 years after CellTrak’s founding, we are thrilled to be able to support the caregivers who make excellent care possible. That’s why in 2020, CellTrak and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) partnered to offer $10,000 in scholarships to 20 excellent caregivers during November for National Home Care and Hospice Month.

In the scholarship’s first year, we received nearly 400 scholarship applications, making choosing just 20 aides a difficult task. We are constantly moved by the grit and determination expressed by caregivers to provide exceptional care in home-based services.

CellTrak and NAHC relaunched the program in late July of this year for the next generation of exceptional aides. Whether your aides are currently in school, are paying off student loans, or simply deserve a bonus, this scholarship program is here to celebrate their achievements and commitment to an exceptional quality of care.

As the scholarship program enters its second year, we caught up with last year’s winners to see how the program impacted them. We were thrilled to learn that so many of our aide scholarship winners still work at their agency 1 year later, especially in a time where agencies are seeing major labor shortages.

Ann Literski, Pro Health Home Care and Hospice

Literski was nominated for her willingness to go the extra mile for her patient's needs and for being an excellent team player. “ [I was] very proud to know my co-workers and superiors think my work ethic and skills are deserving of this award” Literski commented. After receiving the scholarship, Literski used the money to take education classes and further her skills in the medical field to better improve the quality of care she offers. When asked what home care and hospice month means to her, Literski gushed,

“EVERYTHING! This isn't something I do for recognition. (don't get me wrong, to hear I'm doing a great job is very nice to hear.) I do this job because I love what I do. I know I have so much to give and I give each and every patient my all, my time, my attention. To have been given the opportunity to learn how to do it even better, was a blessing.” Additionally, Literski encourages other caregivers to love what they do and continue to learn and better their care.

Tammy Bull, Richmond County Hospice

Tammy used her scholarship money to pursue education as well, though she had not previously thought about continuing education prior to the program. “As an older nursing assistant, I felt complaisant, and this made me think about enhancing my skill set.” Tammy Bull has served at Richmond County Hospice for more than a decade, yet still shows the passion of someone early in their career. She was nominated for her compassionate nature and commitment to making her patients feel special and cared for. Her wisdom to caregivers is to “Treat every patient as an individual. How you make your client and their caregivers feel is as important as what you do for them. Listen and provide compassionate care beginning with your first interaction. Establish professional boundaries to ensure you are within your scope of practice.”

Cynthia Camacho, All Ways Caring Homecare

Cynthia Camacho was nominated for her commitment to all her patients. We were glad to help Cynthia pay off a portion of her school debt and continue her education with this scholarship program. “This scholarship helped me pay off some school debt I was struggling to pay off. I was able to pay it off and sign up for the next semester.” As Camacho continues her education, she advises that “Every day is a new opportunity to learn something new. Treat and care for your clients the way you would want your loved one to be treated if they needed help.”

We are so humbled to be able to help these amazing caregivers through their education. Our scholarship program is evidence of one of our most important virtues, Empowering Care 365. We are committed to empowering those who provide care in the home, and are willing to put our money where our mouth is. We wish all the best to last year's winners in their careers!

Nominations are now open for our 2nd home care aide scholarship until October 8^th, 2021! Visit our scholarship page to celebrate your exceptional caregivers!