Get to know our team member Rodger “Aaron” Ferreras, RN
Aaron has been part of The Selfhelp Home for 3 years now! You can find him in our Health & Rehabilitation Center tending to patients recovering from a hospital stay or surgery as they undergo physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Learn more about our rockstar nurse Aaron and his experience working at The Selfhelp Home…
Q: What brought you to Selfhelp?
A: Personally, I’ve known Sheila Bogen, Executive Director of Selfhelp, for quite some time. My mom, Eleanor, and Sheila worked together at other senior living communities for many years, so I’m pretty close with her. While the home is a “hidden gem”, Selfhelp has great patient success stories, patient outcomes, and incredible reviews. After talking to Sheila and getting a feel for the nursing team, I could see the compassion and dedication that the staff members have… it seemed like everyone was really committed to doing their part to help the patients and I wanted to be part of that.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: What I love most is working closely with all the staff members to provide the best care possible for our patients, advocating for patients, and being able to make a difference for them in one of the most vulnerable times of these individuals’ lives.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your day at Selfhelp?
A: The best part of my day is interacting with the patients, whether that be giving them their medications, checking their vitals, being able to talk to them and really see how they’re feeling. Find out what they’re struggling with and how I’m able to help out. Just being a shoulder to lean on and knowing I’m making a difference.
I know that sounds cliche, but it’s refreshing being in this facility. I’ve seen and been inside other facilities and I can confidently say that Selfhelp is light years ahead of them as far as compassion and dedication. We really strive for that. And it speaks to our track record that we have patients that have discharged and have come back. They are recommending family members and friends which says a lot.
Q: Besides being compassionate and considerate, what do you think makes you a great nurse?
A: I connect closely to patients because I’m well-rounded as a person. I talk to patients about my hobbies, like playing instruments. I play a variety of instruments. Then I find out that some of these patients have been playing music their entire life, so it’s a fun way to get to know them better. I try to connect with patients in non-medical ways to distract them from their current situation at hand. Coming from the hospital…it’s a lot. Between dealing with major surgeries and recent illness, it’s nice to get their minds off of it.
Q: Tell us more about your musical talents!
A: I’ve been playing drums for the last 22 years and I’ve played violin for 6 years. I’ve brought my guitar here many times to play and sing with the other nurses. It’s funny because sometimes when new patients arrive, when they get off the floor they’re like, “Oh wow! This is nice.” We try to give them a musical welcome when possible.
In general, we do our best to maintain a positive atmosphere here on the 6th floor. That’s our vibe! The environment is also conducive to patients’ overall healing process. If you’re not in the right environment, you may not heal as quickly or recover fully. As a nursing team, we do whatever we can to create a good energy for everyone. Not only is it helpful for the patients, but it also makes The Selfhelp Home a great place to work everyday!
Fun fact: Aaron’s mom, Eleanor Bulatao, RN, worked at Selfhelp years ago. She was a supervisory nurse, doing the competencies for the Nurses and Aides. It looks like nursing runs in the family!
