Meet Allison Sinclair-Graham, resident care manager, St. Teresa Place

Editor’s note: Allison's story is the fourth in a series of five staff profiles we are publishing for Black History Month (read more stories from Remi, Chris, Emile and Ashlee). Watch for the final profile next week.

For Allison Sinclair-Graham, resident care manager at St. Teresa Place, a Covenant Care centre in Calgary, gratitude and kindness are key to leading her staff and working with residents.

“As a team, we have Gratitude Fridays, where we talk about the things that we’re grateful for and how we’re closing the week out strong,” Allison says. “Everyone is so busy these days that I always remind them to be mindful that people’s minds are full. (We) might not be able to solve all the problems in the world, but if we show some kindness, it goes a long way.”

Practicing gratitude and kindness has always been part of Allison’s daily life. When she joined Covenant Care in 2017 as an educator — a nod to her background in both secondary education and nursing — she was intentional about incorporating gratitude and kindness into her work. And since moving into the role of resident care manager shortly before St. Teresa Place opened three years ago, she has made them commonplace for her team too.

Allison immigrated to Canada from Jamaica in 2010, and she says that the hardships she faced when she first arrived, including having to leave her then three-year-old daughter behind with her mother, helped her become more compassionate and open, especially as a manager.

“Even though it was hard, it taught me that asking ‘How are you?’ in a meaningful way, offering a smile or hug and being an active listener can make a world of difference to someone,” she says.

Knowing something about their residents — who they are, where they’re from, what their likes and dislikes are — can also help staff understand what is behind their choices or actions so they can serve them better, Allison says. This is especially important if the resident has dementia or isn’t able to fully communicate — it allows the care team to provide more sensitive care.

“St. Teresa Place is very culturally diverse when it comes to our residents and staff, so it’s important to listen to people’s stories and give them a platform to be heard in a nonjudgmental way,” says Allison. “As a leader, you have to realize that maybe your view isn’t always the best and set the example of saying sorry when you need to and meaning it. That creates an environment where people are willing to listen and be more sensitive to each other because they feel heard. That’s the power of kindness.”