Kim Carpentier and KoH: A Relationship That Works

Muriel Fox

“I love my job. I love the residents. At night I feel I did something good for someone.” Kim Carpentier, who has been the Resident Care Director for Independent Living residents since July 2021, believes “the biggest thing is to stay safe.” With Kim, we feel not only safe, but also cared for. At the end of this article I’ll quote the stories of three residents whom Kim has helped; but first, the basic information:

Kim oversees our Resident Care Center (RCC), on the terrace level. She makes sure the outside providers who use our offices have whatever they need. She advises residents with medical concerns in Independent Living, and follows through with phone calls if we need hospital care. If we move from a hospital to Clearwater, Kim coordinates this.

An LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), she serves as an emergency nurse when necessary –mostly in our apartments rather than in the RCC. She supervises a wide variety of services to the Blood Pressure Clinic on the second and third Monday morning of every month. (If we suddenly need to have our blood pressure taken another time, Kim can do it.) Another service is Drug Takeback Day on the first Monday of each month, when the Sleepy Hollow Police Department collects the unused or expired medications for disposal. For a nominal KoH fee, Kim will visit our apartment and help with a home Covid test if we request it.

I learned from Kim that Apex Laboratory, a subsidiary of Phelps Hospital, draws blood every Wednesday morning and submits it to our designated physician. This information led me to cancel a separate appointment in my doctor’s office for blood-drawing before my annual physical. One less trip in the Kendal van.

Kim keeps lists of nearby dentists, dermatologists, audiologists, ENT and primary care practitioners. Are they taking new patients now? No psychotherapists are listed because their availability changes too often; but there are two who can come to the RCC or treat residents in our apartments. She’ll sit down with a resident and give advice regarding our interfacing with doctors.

Kim often meets with people who want to move here, and gathers information so that KoH’s medical director can decide if Kendal is a good fit for them. Once someone becomes a resident, she’ll provide advice. If physical therapy or other assistance might be helpful, Kim suggests contacting one’s doctor.

There’s sometimes a difficult moment when the question arises about a suggested move to Adirondack, Clearwater or Sunnyside. What place is best for an IL resident, with or without an aide? (The ratio between physical or cognitive problems is about 50-50.) Kim sits down with a resident, their family, Ellen Ottstadt, and pertinent specialists to think this through. “We don’t want anyone to struggle living independently. After all our discussions, they decide what level of care is right for them. Once they do move, people are happy to be in a place that can assist them in their needs.”

Kim was born in Putnam Valley, attended Lakeland High School, took business courses at Westchester Community College, and then worked in a bank. “I hated it. It was not me.” Her grandmother, a nurse, advised: “You should be a nurse. It’s your nature.” She then obtained an LPN license through Northern Westchester Technical School.

Her first nursing job was at Hudson Valley Hospital. She was eager to learn about various fields of medical care and spent over a year as a trauma nurse. Then three years with a home care agency, helping patients who aged in place. Then 17 years split between an assisted living/nursing home in Hooksett, NH, and a CCRC in Nashua.

Although Kim enjoyed this work, she decided to move back to this area to be near her family. Her husband, Michael, took early retirement at his aerospace job to move here with Kim. Married in 2003, the couple have a son and two stepsons.

Kim researched possible jobs in this locality and zeroed in on Kendal on Hudson as a Life Planning Community. There were no openings, but she sent her resume and kept calling. After one year, she learned about an opening here “and did a dance of joy.”

We’re the ones who are dancing because of Kim. Following, verbatim, are comments by three residents who all happened to be at my dinner table recently:

Mary Alice Walker: “Kim is not only compassionate and caring, she is competent and helpful. On one occasion, she consulted with me and then arranged for me to be sent to Phelps ER, even running up to my apartment to retrieve necessary papers. She not only stayed in daily touch afterwards, but kept my daughter informed. Follow-through is so important, particularly with health issues, and Kim does a superb job at that.”

Roberta Poupon: “She cares. Helpful, kind, thoughtful. When I was dizzy, she checked me out and sent me to Phelps. Then she took that extra step and called me the next day. Similarly, when I had Covid, she called me daily. But daily check-ins did not stop with her work week - she called on the weekend and made me feel I was not alone.”

Barbara Rachlin: “I badly injured myself late one afternoon. Unaware of the seriousness of the injury, I refused to go to the ER. Kim stayed with me through her own dinner, treated the wound, bandaged it, then followed day after day, referring me to the wound service at Phelps for ongoing treatment. Throughout, she kept in touch. Kim is warmly caring, professional, and competent...when I felt most medically vulnerable, Kim made me feel safe.”

That says it all!