Meet Our Team Member: Tiunca “T” Shoat, CNA

3 years ago

👋 Get to know our team member Tiunca “T” Shoat, CNA

Tiunca has been a part of The Selfhelp Home team for 6 years now! She currently works on the 6th floor tending to our Short-Term Rehab patients. Her bright and bubbly personality is very welcome at our home. Residents enjoy her singing and often request songs for her to perform. T believes Selfhelp has a family atmosphere and there is no doubt that she contributes to it! Learn more about Tiunca’s journey while working for The Selfhelp Home these past 6 years…

Q: How did you start working at Selfhelp?

A: I filled out an application 6 years ago while I was working somewhere else. The Selfhelp Home called me and I decided to come see what it’s all about. I’ve been living in this neighborhood for a long time and I never knew what this building was. I thought it was just a senior home. The 6th floor was very new when I started, they had just built it. Management placed me on this floor and I’ve been tending to rehab patients ever since!

Q: What do you like most about working here and caring for the residents?

A: I’ve worked at many different facilities around the area. At Selfhelp, I feel like we have more recovery stories when patients receive care here; there is always a good story to tell afterwards. When people do their rehab at our Health & Rehabilitation Center, they end up having a much better patient outcome than at other facilities.

Patients report going back to work quicker, being able to spend time with family, and say they’re happier than they were prior to staying here. It’s a really good place to recover and to heal, especially on this floor. The 6th floor is also a transitional floor for potential long-term residents. After your rehab is complete, residents can decide to stay longer by moving into Assisted Living or Independent Living. Then down the road, they can transition to another floor to continue receiving the care they need. We really do want to help. You can tell that the The Selfhelp Home staff really cares. All of these things make me feel like I’m making a positive difference in someone’s life and I feel proud to be working here.

Q: Did you grow up in Chicago?

A: Yes, right down the street! I walked past this place as a kid so many times and never knew what this building was. It truly is a “hidden gem”!

Q: Do you enjoy working with the other staff members? What’s your favorite part of the day?

A: I love the mornings here. When I first started here, I’m not gonna lie, I had an attitude because I was so used to working at different facilities with other types of people. I would say I was institutionalized with how other places operated. I would wonder, “Why is everybody so happy here?” But over time they gained my trust and I started to open up. I realized that everyone here is genuine and they really are happy people here. All the staff is very friendly and helpful. They welcome you in and it truly feels like family. It’s sort of like another home… All of us are so close!

Q: Do you have any special interests that you’d like to share?

A: I like to sing. Actually, I love to sing. I’m very dramatic. The residents on this floor need a song in the morning, something to lift their spirits and keep them hopeful about their recovery. And I’m happy to do that for them! The residents and staff make requests all the time. So I find the song they like, Google it, I learn the lyrics and then I come back to sing to them. One of the other team members sometimes brings a guitar. We’ll sit, he’ll play songs and we’ll all sing. The patients love that, it’s really fun for everybody!