Martha Wahl is a clinical nurse case manager at Promyse Home Care who creates custom care plans for senior loved ones, offering support through transitional times.
We met with Martha to discuss what inspires her to work with our aging community and their caregivers to optimize their quality of life.
What were your career goals when you finished school?
When I graduated from nursing school, my original goal was to work in the orthopedics or physical rehabilitation field. As I child, I experienced multiple fractures (born with a genetic bone condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, aka brittle bones) and spent a lot of time over my youth in the hospital environment. From my own personal experience with pain, recovery and the path to healing, I wanted to help others going through this experience and shed some comfort, support, and joy on their healing path.
Who or what was your inspiration that inspired you in life?
The biggest inspiration in my career and life has been my father. My dad is a retired Nurse! He went to school for nursing when I was a baby in the 80s and graduated when I was four years old. He had a dedicated approach to nursing, and being in a female-dominant career, was not always easy for him. He was a hard worker, always willing to help his patients and coworkers. He was reliable and approachable. He cared about people deeply and demonstrated reliability, advocacy, leadership, emotional resilience, and unwavering compassion. He always liked to have fun and brought many laughs to whatever unit he worked on. He has been and continues to be an inspiration in my life as a pillar of strength, support, love, and guidance.
What was your role in the hospital environment?
I worked in the hospital environment for over 15 years and had many amazing roles in different units… let’s see if I remember them all…. Complex Care, Rehab, Palliative, Geriatric assessment and neurobehavioral care, generalized medicine, internal medicine clinic, and urgent neurology.
What was your motivation to enter community/home care?
As you can see from my nursing career, I am someone who likes to have different experiences, expand my roles, and learn continuously. Also, after Covid and many breakdowns in the system, I was ready for a change and a more individualized approach to health care. I desire some flexibility and freedom as a single mother to 2 children, and the diversity and ability to work remotely and in person suit my lifestyle much better than long hours of shift work at the hospital. Being able to help others and offer support through transitional times has been very rewarding.
What is your role with Promyse Home Care?
I am a nurse case manager. I create custom care plans for clients in need of home care, respite, and palliative care and manage individuals’ ongoing care. I also support and manage our agency’s wonderful group of PSWs.
What is a Nurse Case Manager
If there was one thing you could change in the world, what would it be?
That is a very tough question, but from my heart, it would be to eradicate human separation… the belief that we are separate, which causes hatred, suffering, greed, war, and many human hardships. For every human to know, accept, believe, and embody that we are ONE, and although may have many different life experiences, thoughts, lifestyles etc., in the end, we are all humans experiencing this journey; we are ONE, and to let love lead.
Looking at the current health care system, is there one thing you would like to change if you could?
Approaching healthcare from a more holistic approach, looking at the whole individual and not just treating symptoms. Incorporating more natural forms of treatment and focusing on illness prevention through healthy lifestyles and wellness of mind, body, and spirit.Â
I feel this is changing in our current society, and I hope things continue to move this way. Western medicine is amazing and vital and saves many lives, but we must be open to change, grow and expand our approach to health as part of evolution.
How do you feel about the overall care for aging seniors and the ability to keep them living independently in their homes longer?
The lack of government funding causing restrictions to patient care, wait times, bed shortages, and healthcare worker burnout has been a perpetual cycle of our healthcare crisis.
We have left our seniors in dangerous and dismal situations. The supports we must have in place are not available in a timely manner. As the population and majority of those in need of care are in the demographics of over age 65, we need to put some focus on this population. They deserve quality care and quality of life, just as every individual does.
The team of Promyse Home Care nurses & caregivers offers a wide range of home and healthcare services to those seeking the highest quality professional and caring support.Â
Whether it is care for seniors, disabled, chronically or terminally ill people, we have the knowledge, understanding & compassion to help you in the comfort of your own home.
