Meet Linh K.: Lead Alegre Caregiver at Solstice Senior Living

One of the requirements of being a high quality caregiver is the ability to step into a unique type of leadership role. When working with vulnerable people such as seniors who have dementia, people who are recovering from surgery, and LGBTQ+ seniors, a caregiver needs to take an approach to leadership that prioritizes compassion above all else.

This type of compassionate leadership is also important when leading other caregivers. Providing high quality in-home care services takes a lot of energy, empathy, training, and expertise. Due to the nature of the job, there is always a deeply personal component, and yet caregivers must make sure to maintain the lines of professional boundaries. A person who is responsible for leading caregivers must have an understanding of this dynamic and what will help caregivers thrive so that they can provide the best possible care for their clients.

Caregiving Requires Compassionate Leadership

This is why Alegre Home Care was thrilled to promote caregiver Linh K. to a Lead Caregiver role for the Quick Care Program at Solstice Senior Living. The program is available to all residents and covers a wide variety of personal care activities, such as bathing assistance, medication reminders, appointment reminders, exercise and more. Alegre Home Care’s Quick Care program allows seniors to maintain their independence, even if they need a little support.

Due to his compassionate nature and dedication to the field of caregiving, Linh was the perfect caregiver to lead the Alegre Home Care team at Solstice Senior Living. Director of Client Services, Carol Parks, explains,

“Linh does such a wonderful job at Solstice, the senior living community. I hear from everyone that he is friendly to every person there. Everyone knows who Linh is. He encourages people to sign up for Alegre, encourages other caregivers, and is great with the clients and staff.”

Linh grew up in Vietnam and was introduced to caregiving through the experience of providing care for his grandfather. This sparked a passion for caregiving. Linh saw the ways his caregiving helped his grandfather and he was inspired to help others needing care, especially seniors. This led him to one of his first jobs in the US, providing care for a senior who had dementia. When Linh began working at Alegre Home Care, he felt like it was a great fit. Linh loves working with seniors and hearing their stories — the seniors in his care remind him of the quality time he spent with his grandfather. At Alegre Home Care, he gets to have that experience everyday.

Carol elaborates on the importance of this, “A lot of our best caregivers are ones who had personal experience, because they really feel it in their heart.”

Linh’s approach to caregiving resonates with other caregivers, too. When Linh was promoted to Lead Caregiver, he felt nervous about stepping into a leadership role, but he made it a goal to always try his best. He takes a gentle, friendly approach so that the other caregivers feel comfortable going to him for help and support. As a leader, Linh never feels like he is above anyone, but is there to help serve the needs of his fellow caregivers.

He feels the effects of this approach by the kindness he receives. All the caregivers are nice to him and appreciative. “When they need help, I help right away. That’s what I can do.”

Linh reached another milestone in his journey this past May 2023, when he became a US citizen. He feels like he now has the freedom to achieve even more of his dreams. He wants to expand on his caregiving skills by pursuing education in physical therapy. He also wants to travel and explore more of the country he now calls home.

Many of the seniors Linh works with are veterans, and he appreciates the unique opportunity to learn more about the history of the US through their personal stories. He believes it is important to be present with senior veterans and listen to their stories, because it is a way to honor the service they dedicated to this country.

Listening to people’s stories is Linh’s favorite part oft being a caregiver. “I love my job. I love spending quality time with people, and they tell me about their stories. It’s so amazing, to hear their stories.”

Outside of caregiving, Linh loves being outdoors and living life to its fullest. He is an avid hiker, loves camping, and enjoys taking long walks — especially if it’s with his canine companion, Sakura.

Linh shares that he feels supported in his healthy lifestyle because he feels supported in his work. “Anytime I need help, Alegre Home Care always helps me. My supervisors are very nice, and my coworkers feel the same way about this.”

Alegre Home Care feels the same way about Linh. The agency is grateful to have him on the team.