As a certified nursing assistant, Melissa Owen works on our wellness team under our Wellness Director Nadine Schweiri.
Melissa’s number one priority is ensuring our residents are safe and happy. She starts her day by helping residents get ready for breakfast and assisting those who need help with personal care. Throughout the day, Melissa often escorts residents to scheduled programs, which she helps facilitate, and helps with medication administration and whatever else is needed.
Melissa joined our team shortly after we opened in summer 2012. But she had to leave us soon after in order to care for her mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Sadly, her mother passed away, but Melissa is grateful that she had the opportunity to spend time with her mother and be with her until the end. We welcomed her back to Bridges with open arms, and Melissa’s personal experience allowed her to really understand and empathize with what our residents and their families go through.
Melissa has been working with and caring for seniors for the past 20 years, fulfilling many different roles in both independent and assisted living communities. She’s worked as concierge, business office manager, activities director and even food service director. “I’ve been through every position!” Melissa said. “I enjoyed them all, and liked doing them for different reasons.”
She likes being a C.N.A. in particular because it gives her an opportunity to work so closely with seniors, directly impact their lives, and make them happy. “I love our residents. I like comforting them and being a part of their lives,” she said. “I think they’re such an amazing generation and helping them makes me feel good.”
Melissa particularly enjoys the opportunity to learn about this generations’ wealth of life experience. “I love learning from them, what they did. Sometimes you find things in common – I used to be a teacher and many of our residents also were teachers, so we can relate to each other’s experiences. It’s like a learning experience all the time, for me and for them!”
Melissa grew up in Connecticut and raised her own family there. Her kids decided to attend college in Massachusetts, where they ended up staying after graduation. So Melissa decided she’d make the move to be closer to her kids, as well as her mother who lived in Grafton at the time. “I enjoy living here,” she said. “You’re close to Boston, there’s a lot to do, and my family is here.”
Outside of work, Melissa enjoys sewing. She also loves to downhill ski, go to the city, and travel. Some of her favorite places she travelled to recently are Quebec, the Caribbean, and of course Paris. “My goal now is to get to Switzerland!” she said.
Melissa has such a bright personality and is so great with our residents. We can’t imagine Hingham without her!