Grace Galapon

Like many of her colleagues at Islands Hospice, Grace Galapon, CNA, found her calling in hospice care through a personal experience.

“I was first exposed to hospice when my mother needed services. My family definitely benefited from the experience,” she said. “It has shaped the way I care for my own patients.”

After graduating from high school, Grace immediately went down the path to becoming a CNA to assist her family with their Community Care Foster Family Home, which provides care for up to three individuals in a family environment. As fate would have it, she found her career path incredibly rewarding and has been a CNA ever since.

Grace starts her day early, commuting into town to see the majority of her patients in the morning. Sometimes she stops mid-day to pick up supplies before completing her patient visits in the afternoon. She helps with personal care, emotional support and activities of daily living, including bathing.

“A good number of my patients remember that I always wear a bandana around my head when I help them with their showers and baths. One Christmas a patient gifted me with a handmade red floral print bandana so I could use it during my visits,” she recounted. It’s one of her most special memories from her seven years working at Islands Hospice. 

She acknowledges that the support and encouragement of her colleagues has kept her at Islands Hospice for so long. “It’s nice to know that the people you work with are rooting for you to be the best you can be with our patients and are willing to lend a helping hand.”