The People Behind the Care
Hundreds of tireless licensed nurses, nurse aides, therapists, housekeeping and maintenance workers work tirelessly to give the best possible care to our residents. In particular, nurse aides are the backbone of the skilled care profession, providing care every day to nursing home residents.
NCHCFA established the Fabulous 50 awards program to recognize nurse aides across North Carolina for excellence in care. Our judges select 10 nominees from five districts. One nominee per district is honored with our Nurse Aide of the Year award.
We're proud to spotlight the top five nurse aides from the 2006 Fabulous 50. They represent a host of skilled caregivers who make North Carolina nursing homes a wonderful place to live.
Howard Kendall
District IV Nurse Aide of the YearCertified Nursing Assistant and Van Driver
Autumn Care in Myrtle Grove, NC
Working in long-term care: 30 years
Howard Kendall developed an interest in health care and accepted the challenge of a career change later in life to become a certified nursing assistant. He is an exemplary employee and a wonderful role model. His work ethic is outstanding, and he is willing to be very flexible with his work schedule.
He loves the residents and spends time getting to know each one individually. Several years ago he started the tradition of dressing up as Santa at Christmas and giving each resident a personal gift selected just for them. Howard has a genuine concern for everyone. He feels that having this opportunity to help others and share in their lives has been the most rewarding life experience.