Caregiver Corner: Corena Langham 

By Nancy Kennedy

Welcome to Caregivers Corner, a new feature of the Western Pennsylvania Guide to Good Health. Here you will meet some very fine people who proudly wear the title of caregiver. Some are healthcare professionals, and others are family members and volunteers. All of them are people who care for others who are unable to care for themselves, meeting their needs with compassion and skill.

Meet Corena Langham. Corena is a Certified Nursing Assistant who has a fulltime job at VITAS Healthcare, but she doesn’t view her job as work. “It’s not something I have to do, but something that I get to do. It’s a privilege to do what I do. My role is to help people die with dignity, in comfort and at peace. That is my commitment. When I am working, I’m caring for my patients in their homes and I’m supporting their families. I care for my patients and families as I would care for my own loved ones. I love my patients, I love the families, and I love the people I work with. We are a team. At work, I’m always building relationships with others, and that is deeply gratifying.”

Corena has been employed at VITAS since 2018. She is a graduate of Community College of Beaver County, where she earned her CNA credential. She once considered becoming a registered nurse, but recognized that her role as a CNA kept her right at the bedside, close to the patients, where she found the greatest reward: being a caregiver. “Hospice care is very rewarding, and is about much more than death. We provide treatment, personal care, pain relief, companionship, family support and education, spiritual care and counseling, and practical help with everyday tasks. I work with nurses, social workers, and chaplains.”

Sometimes, Corena’s friends and family members express concern that working in hospice care may be too stressful and emotionally demanding for her, but she reassures them that that is not the case. “I never worry about burnout. This is what I choose to do, every day. I get to be with people at the most difficult moments of their lives and I can help them and help their families.”

Dying at home, in a place that feels safe and familiar, surrounded by family and receiving care that is compassionate and skillful, is the natural way to die, Corena believes. “I can see and feel the love in the home, and it’s a privilege to be part of that. In hospice care, the patient is surrounded by love, by people who are sharing stories and memories. I believe that this is the way God wants us to die, with dignity, respect and comfort.”

Life at home balances the demands of work for this single mother of two children: Kendall, age 9, and Remmi, age 8. Corena describes herself as a “sports mom” who coaches softball, serves on the board for the soccer organization, and loves to attend her children’s games. To relax, she loves to read and do word games. Her personal life is busy but Corena has strong time management skills and plenty of energy.

For Corena, serving as a caregiver is an enriching personal experience. She provides a gentle, reliable presence at a time when people are at their most vulnerable, and patients and families respond to her kindness and care. “The essence is in the relationships,” she says. “We are relationship centered here and no one feels alone. We share experiences with the family and each other; we all support each other and develop trust. This is my work but it’s also my passion and my purpose.”

To learn more about VITAS Healthcare, visit www.vitas.com.