Life Care Center of Punta Gorda cook wins division’s service award

Sandra Wuest, a cook at Life Care Center of Punta Gorda, Florida, received Life Care Centers of America’s Southeast Division Whatever It Takes And Then Some Award on May 13, 2021, for her dedication to customer service.

Life Care awarded Sandra a $1,000 cash prize during an awards ceremony at the facility. Facility leadership surprised her, who was told she needed to watch a training video. When the video started, it was actually a video of fellow associates at the facility, as well as residents, talking about what they appreciate about her.

“I have a love for cooking – I always have,” Sandra said. “The first [skilled nursing facility] that I worked at, I got hooked on the residents as my family. I think of the residents as my family.”

Sandra was chosen from among thousands of associates in the Southeast Division and was one of only eight associates from Life Care’s more than 200 facilities nationwide to receive the award.

Last April, Sandra took the time to make individual greeting cards for all the residents, as well as all the associates working on the COVID-19 unit.

“She will do anything extra special that a resident needs,” shared Janet Uveges, environmental services director.