Nevada Family Caregiver of the Year

In Northern Nevada, Dungarvin is associated with the Nevada Caregivers Coalition. This year the Governor proclaimed November Family Caregiver Month and Dungarvin Nevada nominated two family caregivers, Francisca Rojas and Bonnie Clark, for consideration of the award.
 

Francisca Rojas’ Nomination Slide Presentation

Bonnie Clark’s Nomination Slide Presentation

We are thrilled to announce that Bonnie Clark was awarded as the In-Home Paid Family Caregiver of the Year! Her nomination submission, below, demonstrates why Bonnie was so deserving of this award:

Bonnie and Raina Arriving

Bonnie is an in-home caregiver for her daughter Raina. Bonnie is very intelligent, compassionate and thoughtful. She has a very warm and calm demeanor and in stressful situations, she helps Raina feel at ease. Bonnie has done an excellent job empowering Raina to push herself to become an independent thinker. Bonnie, in her calm, cool voice, has offered Raina choices about joining new activities such as Special Olympics, volunteering at the local library and attending community events. Bonnie is excellent at sharing the pros and cons of involving herself in these events. Often, Bonnie has been able to help Raina to verbalize her fears, and then she is able to support Raina to take small steps to involve herself in the world around her. Bonnie supports Raina’s choices and decisions with total compassion and respect.
 

Bonnie After Accepting Award

Bonnie’s communication style comes with the utmost respect, empathy and leadership. She not only uses her words, but her body language and facial expressions to connect with Raina each time they communicate. Bonnie has a funny sense of humor and it is always shared with a smile and sparkle in her eye. Raina responds immediately with a quick smile back and hearty laugh. They garden, do chores, and take care of the environment through their love of the animals and land where they live. Bonnie continually shares with Raina the blessings and responsibilities they have while participating in the life they share. Through Bonnie’s open style of communication, Raina has learned to deeply care about not only her own life, but also to have compassion for everything and everyone she interacts with daily.

Bonnie Claiming Prize After Award

Bonnie is not a teacher by trade, but she has an intuitive way of looking at a situation and finding a way to incorporate as many “lessons” as possible to teach Raina to pursue an independent and fulfilling life. She has taught Raina to see all sides of an obstacle and assess the situation not from the perspective of what she can’t do, but from what she can do. Additionally, Bonnie continually reinforces Raina’s rights as a citizen. She has spent time talking to Raina about the importance of voting and has taken her each year to the polling location near her home to exercise her rights to vote.

Raina Finding Comfort in an Overwhelming Room

Patience and kindness are Bonnie’s strongest characteristics! Bonnie makes time for everyone that she meets. Raina is no exception. As we all know, living in the same home with anyone can be stressful sometimes. We have watched Bonnie interact with Raina in some very challenging circumstances. Bonnie practices stepping back from the occurrence, assessing what Raina needs in the moment and then calmly addresses the situation, either with her soft, positive words or with an intentionally kind direction to help Raina focus and feel safe.

Bonnie deserves this award because she has risen above personal strife and unbelievable odds. She has accepted her life as it has unfurled in front of her. It is her true belief that life is beautiful that supports Bonnie in making it look easy to be a full-time caregiver.

Dungarvin Team (L to R): Katie Hurst, Program Director; Kimberly Diskin, Program Director; Maryanne Hawkins, Director; Bonnie Clark, Host Home Provider; and Raina B., Individual Supported