Nursing home residents have advocate in nun

At Julie Blair Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Albany, hundreds of senior citizens and other patients rely on Sister Jane Carr, RSM, who, for 31 years, has led the pastoral care department at the 200-bed center.

"Some of them are very much alone," she said. "They're grateful for any little thing you do for them."

A tiny, self-described "North Albany Irishwoman," Sister Jane suddenly found a second career in bringing cheer to Julie Blair's population when she answered a request from her pastor to help transport nursing home residents to Mass.

Availability

The Mercy sister essentially fell in love with the people she met and abruptly gave up teaching eighth grade at St. Joseph's Academy in Albany (which closed in 1978) to take over pastoral care at Julie Blair (then known as University Heights).

"I just walked into it," she said of the job. "I would bring the Blessed Sacrament to residents, visit residents, be a comfort when they were hurting, be warm and friendly to the families, make sure they received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction [now known as the Sacrament of the Sick] if necessary, and sit with them all night if they were dying."

Three decades ago, Sister Jane also pitched in on duties like bringing patients to doctor's appointments, which is now done by certified nursing assistants (CNAs). She still spends a lot of her time planning funerals for residents who have no one else to help and offers to do residents' shopping if they don't have families.

Many residents don't. "We had a young man here a while ago, and he had to go to Conifer Park [chemical dependency treatment facility in Glenville] to get straightened out. I took him," Sister Jane recalled. "He had no one."

'Calamity Jane'

Her stubbornness in making sure her charges' spiritual and physical needs are met has earned her the nickname "Calamity Jane" from her sister, Sister Rita Carr, RSM, who is activities director at McAuley Residence in Albany.

"My sister thinks I'm crazy!" Sister Jane declared, "but it's for the people and their benefit." 

The pastoral care director also makes her ideals clear to new employees. Two kinds of people work with the elderly, she believes: good people and people just in it for the money, or because they can't find other work.

"Treat people as you would want to be treated, with love and kindness," she begs the former. To the latter, she says, "There's the door."

Catholic presence

It's never bothered Sister Jane to be a woman religious working in a secular institution; in fact, she claims that some newcomers think the center is Catholic just because she works there.

Although she misses the days when the center's Catholic founder allowed such practices as Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, she counts herself grateful to still be able to get a priest to celebrate Mass at Julie Blair every weekend.

"We get diocesan priests, Vincentians, Franciscans, LaSalette Fathers," she recited. "We're blessed."

Walking with Carr

Strolling the halls of Julie Blair with Sister Jane is like trailing a locomotive. "How are you doing, Florence?" she asked of one resident as she steamed ahead. "Not too bad, sister," Florence replied.

"We have a fantastic therapy department. I'd put it against any in the [Albany] Diocese," Sister Jane boasted, pointing to a room where three physical therapists were helping a resident out of a wheelchair. 

A young man using an electric wheelchair grabbed Sister Jane's hand as she passed. "We're lucky to have her," he informed The Evangelist. "She watches out for us, takes care of us."

Making time

In the elevator, resident Margaret Podo accosted the pastoral care director: "When are we going to the cemetery? You don't have time."

"We'll make time," Sister Jane assured her. The pair were going to buy geraniums and put them on Ms. Podo's mother's grave.

The feisty sister had a word for all she passed. Spying a CNA cornrowing a resident's hair, she joked, "That's one thing I can't do."

Involved angel

At 83, Sister Jane admitted she's slowed down a lot from the hectic pace she once kept. Technically, she works only two days a week, although she's always on call if someone needs her and usually stops by on her days off. She also volunteers a few hours as a receptionist at McAuley Residence.

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," she remarked. "I love to get involved."

She shrugged off the fact that she's older than many of those she takes on shopping trips or to the races in Saratoga Springs. 

"My sister reminds me all the time that I'm old; I say, `Age is irrelevant,'" she stated. 

Besides, even if she left her job, "I'd have to do something for somebody. I love people, and I have the energy to do it." 

(A massive lawn swing sat in the entrance to Julie Blair Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, with a sign declaring that it was being raffled off on Memorial Day. What wasn't on the sign was that Sister Jane had purchased the swing out of her own pocket to get raffle proceeds to buy items for the residents. "They always need socks," she noted.)

(6/24/04)