JACKSON, WY— Mark Henderson, Legacy Lodge’s newest staff nurse, has already witnessed a lot of wisdom in the residents he cares for. He is one of three new, young Legacy Lodge employees Buckrail is introducing this month. Plenty of changes are afoot in the assisted living facility, but they’re good ones, Henderson says. Henderson and his colleagues are committed to bringing joy into residents’ lives.
Buckrail sat down with Legacy Lodge’s new employees to talk about their journeys to Jackosn, their philosophies of care, and celebrating life. To give them the spotlights they deserve, we’re introducing the one at a time, in a three-part series. Read the first here. Next up: Meet Mark Henderson.
Mark Henderson:
What brought you to Jackson/Legacy Lodge?
I came to Tetons to graduate college by working at Grand Teton Lodge Company to fulfill my Park and Recreation Minor in the summer of 2003. When I got to the Tetons, it literally made me feel like I was being reborn. The majestic mountains and clean fresh air reinvigorated me, pushed me to excel in the mountains and helped me find my sense of self. My story is a little backward—most people come for the winters and stay for the summers. However, I came for the summer and stayed for the powder! A little inverted retirement plan, I’d say.
After many adventurous seasons in Jackson, I gained the desire to see more of what the universe has to offer and traveled like most Jacksonites do. When I traveled to Guatemala in 2007, I was admitted to the hospital for a serious illness, but luckily was nursed back to health. I kind of had an awakening and decided I’d like to become a nurse so I could pay it forward. Central Wyoming College offered a program in the heart of Jackson. I think it’s truly amazing to be able to further one’s education in the shadows of the Tetons. Legacy Lodge gave me this great opportunity to work as a nurse and I’m very thankful for them and their passion to assist in elderly care.
I, myself am passionate about Legacy Lodge and want to continue to educate myself more on elderly care and the onset of symptoms with different parameters. I quickly recognized the great team we had here at Legacy Lodge from the new executive director, the incredible team of CNA’s, the kitchen staff, the cleaning staff who keep the place spotless, and of course the residents and their lovely families. You can really feel a new energy that has been established here. I’m really excited to be part of the new team, their positive energy, and spiritual progressiveness. It’s really inspiring.
Philosophy of care?
Safety and instilling confidence in our residence, while practicing compassion, empathy, understanding, and attentiveness towards all of them. Residence and their families always come first! I also love the resident-education part of care. They are all so incredibly nice and are always willing to accept positive advice on improving their health. Legacy Lodge encourages them to continue to explore their hobbies while enjoying their own independence and self-care. This builds their self-confidence, so they can continue to live a good meaningful life.
Patient-family relationships are incredibly important, while also keeping it fun! Families are always coming into Legacy Lodge to share meals with their loved ones. This gives us nurses the time to bond with not only the residents but with the families who care about them so dearly. The fun part is going on all the time, whether it be card games, Spanish Bingo, or outings to get out and see wildlife, which really allows them to connect with nature and continue to smile at the beauty of the world.
Respect is also so important when it comes to your fellow employees, new bosses, all the residents and their families. There are many residents and staff of all beliefs, so respecting those beliefs and allowing them to believe in whatever makes them feel alive is very important to me.
What are your goals here?
Being part of this place as it grows into something special, a place where the community of Jackson feels confident in sending their loved ones and knowing that they can trust our incredible staff to take good care of them. Our goal is to allow our residents to come to Legacy Lodge and still live a full life of enjoyment. Everyone’s putting their hardest effort into making the residents comfortable and happy. The pursuit of happiness still burns within them all. We’re searching for it too, AND finding it here with them. They add to our pursuit of happiness and I hope we add to theirs.
