As a social worker for Hospice of Michigan for the past eleven years, Elena Kripl strongly believes in the Golden Rule, “to treat other people the way I would want to be treated.”

A life-changing experience drove her to the work that she does today. After losing her father to cancer she realized, “you can’t sweat the small stuff, you have to focus on what is truly important in life.”

Providing direct care to her patients and their loved ones is a great learning process. “What I like most about my job, is that I can learn something from my patient’s family. Things like strength, dignity, independence and faith.”

But the most rewarding aspect of her job “is to think we provide support to people at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives and maybe our presence has helped them and their families in some way.” Her team makes every effort to maximize their patient’s quality of life and to allow them to live as fully and comfortably as possible, for as long as possible.

“You need to have a high degree of respect for life and accepting that death is a part of life.”

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