.webp)
Summary
Host Peter Murphy Lewis is joined on this episode by Danielle Rasmussen, Life Enrichment Coordinator at Linden Court. Danielle shares her journey from librarian to life enrichment, her high-energy approach to engaging residents, and the meaningful stories that shape her work in senior living. From celebrating 104th birthdays to helping a 101-year-old find renewed purpose, she illustrates the power of connection, dignity, and joy in long-term care.
Key Takeaways:
(00:00) Introduction.
(01:38) Feeling grateful to get paid for making residents happy.
(06:02) Giving a 101-year-old resident a sense of purpose as her “assistant.”
(06:55) Discovering a resident’s hidden gift of knowing the day of the week for any date.
(08:31) Realizing preconceptions can blind us to someone’s true brilliance.
(10:38) Hosting a 104th birthday that left residents in tears of joy.
(11:42) Encouraging young people to consider the rewards of long-term care.
Resources Mentioned:
Thank you for listening to “People Worth Caring About.” If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and leave a 5-star rating to help others discover these important stories.
For more information and to connect with our guests, visit PeopleWorthCaringAbout.com.
Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify | Watch it on YouTube
Transcript
Danielle Rasmussen: It really taught me that no matter what your preconceptions are of someone, that you're not always right.
Peter Murphy Lewis: The world does not run on headlines. It runs on people who care. I'm Peter Murphy Lewis and this is "People Worth Caring About." Alongside my co-host Jalene Carpenter, we sit down with the unsung heroes, caregivers, healers, helpers, the ones doing the real work even when no one is watching. These conversations are not polished. They're personal. Because behind every act of care is a story worth hearing. New episodes drop regularly. Get updates at Peopleworthcaringabout.com
Speaker 3: Danielle Rasmussen, North Platte, Nebraska. Linden Court. Take one.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Danielle, welcome to the podcast "People Worth Caring About."
Danielle Rasmussen: Thank you.
Peter Murphy Lewis: You just told me before we went live that you moved here from Salt Lake City, Utah. I've never met anyone who's moved across the country for a job. Tell me why you did this?
Danielle Rasmussen: Well, part of it has to do with a boy, which is always helpful, but I wanted to come to North Platte and started looking for jobs and this one, I actually didn't apply for this one to begin with. I applied to do billing, but they pulled me in and they said, "We think you'd be great for this job." And so I interviewed for that one and took it, and it was the best decision I think I've ever made.
Peter Murphy Lewis: And what did you say your job title is?
Danielle Rasmussen: Life Enrichment Coordinator.
Peter Murphy Lewis: What do you do on an average day?
Danielle Rasmussen: Oh, everything. No. My favorite is I pretty much am just there to make the residents' day fun. I do a lot of the planning, the calendar, help with the activities, and just visit and have a great day with them all.
Peter Murphy Lewis: On the easy days, do you ever pinch yourself and say, I can't believe I get paid to hang out with friends?
Danielle Rasmussen: Yes, because I feel like I really am getting paid just to make them happy, and I love it.
Peter Murphy Lewis: What is the advice or kind of phrase that you've heard from somebody important in your life? Maybe your mom, maybe a neighbor, maybe a grandpa that you've heard most frequently in your life?
Danielle Rasmussen: I would say my mom was a big one for this is, "treat everyone like they matter." Treat everyone like they are just like you. No one is any different, and that was a lot for me.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Yeah, we say that in grade school, but it matters even more when you work in long-term care, doesn't it?
Danielle Rasmussen: It does. They want to be treated just like you are treated. They don't want to be treated like they're old or frail or have issues. They want to mean something.
Peter Murphy Lewis: How long have you been working in our industry?
Danielle Rasmussen: So I worked in Salt Lake City for about four years at a place called Sarah Daft Home that was absolutely amazing, and then went away from it. I was a librarian for a while, and then I came back to this just about seven months ago.
Peter Murphy Lewis: What do librarian and life enrichment have in common?
Danielle Rasmussen: Oh, a lot. I feel like it's almost hand in hand, the same job, besides I'm not peddling as many books. All of the interactions and the engagement and trying to get people interested in doing different things, and it's all exactly the same.
Peter Murphy Lewis: How would you describe the way that you relate to seniors to get them engaged? Are you quietly coax them? Are you high energy?
Danielle Rasmussen: I am so high energy. They say that every morning. They're like, "Oh my gosh, here you are with your smile. How are you so happy this early in the morning?" So yeah, very high energy, lots of joking around. That's probably their favorite part. I do a lot of teasing and offering of red beer for a couple of our residents 'cause they'll come out for that every time. So just a lot of getting to know them and know their likes and just being fun.
Peter Murphy Lewis: If you have a resident who is more isolated than average or struggling with the transition, what are the questions that you ask to figure out what motivates them? What do they want to feel connected to?
Danielle Rasmussen: I do an assessment at the beginning, which is very, very helpful, but sometimes you do have to dig into that a little more because you ask them, what do you love to do? Where were you raised? What was your family like? Did you grow up on a ranch? We have a lot of ranchers. And a lot of them will say, "Well, I loved this and this, but I can't do that anymore." So then, it's up to me to kind of find an adaption or find something that they love now that's similar that they can do.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Have you had any residents be able to express out loud where they found a connection with something that you're able to do with them today that isn't identical with what they used to do and they start to realize that it gives them the same fulfillment?
Danielle Rasmussen: Yes. So we have a lady who's 101. Eula. She is my assistant. She's actually on my name plate on my door. She has an assistant name tag. She does all sorts of office-y type things for us, organizing, helping putting things together, because she was raised on a farm, one of 10 kids. She's like, "I worked my entire life. I don't want to be bored. I need a purpose." And absolutely loves it. She'll come into our office every day and say, "Oh, what do we got to do today?" And she just loves it. She tells everyone how important she feels.
Peter Murphy Lewis: This show is powered by AAG Health, the team behind the teams. If you are building a care team that actually cares, nurses, doctors, techs, admin, pros, AAG doesn't just fill jobs, they find people who show up and stay. Visit AAG.health and see how fast the right people can make all the difference.
Peter Murphy Lewis: And how did you find her or did she find you?
Danielle Rasmussen: I actually found... Her family came to me when I first started and said she loved to help. And so I started just, we were cleaning out because I was new. I just started pulling everything out and having her organize everything. And her family said that she was in such a better mood all the time, so happy. She was having a hard time adjusting and now she doesn't complain about being there anymore. She's happy to be there and happy to do her job.
Peter Murphy Lewis: How is senior living different in Nebraska compared to Utah?
Danielle Rasmussen: I feel like it's pretty similar. It's very similar. I mean, definitely the religion here is a little different than the one in Utah, but yeah, it's pretty similar. I was at an assisted living before, so they could do a lot. There wasn't that nursing aspect, but other than that, I think it's identical.
Peter Murphy Lewis: You mentioned before we started recording that there was someone important in your life and your work that had impact on you. Tell me the story about Sandra?
Danielle Rasmussen: Oh my gosh, Sandra. So this lady was absolutely amazing. She had kind of been in a home for people who didn't have a very high IQ. I don't know how to put that, but she was so sweet. I mean, swore a ton, which we loved because it was just random. But one day she asked me, she said, "What day is your birthday?" And I told her, and she popped right off and said that was a Sunday, and I was floored.
Peter Murphy Lewis: So you said July 20th, 1980, and she knew the day of the week?
Danielle Rasmussen: She knew the day of the week. And so I was like, this has got to be a fluke. So I went into the office and I told the ladies I worked with them. They said, "Oh no, she's like a savant. Even though she is slower functioning, any date you give her, immediately she can come up with the day." So we tested her with some other people and she was right. Every time.
Peter Murphy Lewis: I don't know what day of the week I was born on.
Danielle Rasmussen: Yeah, I didn't either until she told me. But yeah, she could tell you immediately no matter what date you popped off.
Peter Murphy Lewis: One of the things that I often share when I'm doing public speaking engagements, and tomorrow, I'll share it here, is the format that we've done the documentary People Worth Caring About is we have somebody who comes into our life and we were a different person than we are after we met that person. What is your before and after after meeting Sandra? Why is that story important to you? What did it teach you that now you think about the world differently?
Danielle Rasmussen: It really taught me that no matter what your preconceptions are of someone, that you're not always right. She was amazing, but she was treated differently at first because she wasn't as high functioning as some of the other residents, and I realized that that does not matter at all. She was still probably the smartest person I ever knew, and it just made a huge impact on me making that I treat everyone equally.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Danielle, do you have anyone inside of your community that is a teammate, a staff member who might not be on the front line, they might not be an extrovert and feel comfortable being in front of everybody or hearing everybody's praises, but you see them in the darkness kicking butt and making sure that quality is delivered inside of your community?
Danielle Rasmussen: Yes. Yes. Actually, one of my staff members, I think Shauna. Absolutely amazing. Does not take the praise but goes that extra mile at every moment with every resident she interacts with. She stayed late yesterday just because someone needed puzzles. She's just an inspiration for me.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Does the community, the local town in your county know about Shauna?
Danielle Rasmussen: They do not. They do not. But they should.
Peter Murphy Lewis: They're going to now.
Danielle Rasmussen: Good. Shauna's the best.
Peter Murphy Lewis: How would you describe her? What's special about her? What attributes, how would you describe her personality?
Danielle Rasmussen: I would say she's definitely bubbly and fun, but the most empathetic, loving person that I've met in a long time.
Peter Murphy Lewis: If I... I'm 45, my parents may look in that long-term care probably in the next five years. If I heard that, I would be like, I want my parents to be with a Shauna. Isn't that special? Don't you want to be with the Shauna when it's our turn?
Danielle Rasmussen: I told her we're going to the rest home together.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Oh yeah. Tell me, what's one of your happiest moments in the last month or two months? What comes to mind when I ask you, when's the last time you laughed or you cried yourself from laughing?
Danielle Rasmussen: We had a birthday party for Eula and Mildred, who just turned 104, and we kind of did a little bit of a surprise. We made it really, really big, and just the happiness on their faces and how much they thanked me. Mildred was crying, and it touched me so much that they were so excited about this birthday party. You know, 104 is an amazing milestone and, yeah, she just cried. She still has the present we gave her. Every day I go in, she tells me about it, how much she loves it. It's great.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Have you made friends here in Nebraska Health Care Association yet?
Danielle Rasmussen: No, not yet.
Peter Murphy Lewis: No?
Danielle Rasmussen: I'm still working on it.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Today's the big day.
Danielle Rasmussen: Today's the day. There are people here that I work with from home office because we're run by Vetter Senior Living, so I do know a few people, but I don't know anybody outside of that, so I'm excited for that.
Peter Murphy Lewis: My last ask is if there is a high school student listening to this podcast in Utah, what would you tell them about giving long-term care a chance? Whether it be there or here, your new home?
Danielle Rasmussen: I think you will never find anything more rewarding. It is the most rewarding job just to make their day and that connection. You won't regret it.
Peter Murphy Lewis: Thank you so much, Danielle, for joining me. I appreciate it.
Danielle Rasmussen: Yes, thank you.
Peter Murphy Lewis: That's a wrap on "People Worth Caring About." Born from the documentary, Built to Keep the Stories Going. Shout out to Nebraska Health Care Association and Jalene Carpenter for helping launch it, and to Ohio and New Mexico for making future seasons real. Watch the docuseries online or at Peopleworthcaringabout.com. And if this episode meant something to you, leave a review. It matters. Take care of yourself and the people worth caring about.
#HealthcareLeadership #WasteManagement #SkilledTrades #PeopleWorthCaringAbout
