Recently there has been a lot of media coverage about neglect and abuse in long-term nursing care facilities. How about looking at the other side of the coin and writing an article titled, “The better side of nursing care.”

I work in a nursing facility, and I am proud to say it is a place where patients and residents are cared for with dignity and kindness. It’s a place where hard-working, compassionate caregivers, who are paid little more than minimum wage, provide expert care every day of the year.

Why do we work so hard for so little? Because we believe we are making a difference in the lives of the people in our care. To us, making a difference means more than delivering quality nursing services – it means treating each resident like an individual and being there for them when family members cannot.

I feel fortunate to work in such an environment, and I am sure many other health care workers feel the same way. So please, give us some positive press – and publish a story or two about the excellent care that many of Maine’s older adults receive in our facilities.

H.A. Lowe

Certified nursing assistant

Harbor Hill Assisted Living and Health Care Community

Belfast