Motivated by Results
Employee Spotlight: Janeen Cooper, LPN
Unit Manager, A.G. Rhodes Cobb
Growing up, Janeen Cooper and her three siblings watched their mother take care of their grandmother while being a full-time mom and working full-time as a preschool teacher.
“My mother took care of her because she was afraid of the treatment my grandmother would get in a nursing home; this was in the 1970s and 80s.”
The experience had a significant impact on Janeen and shaped the course of her professional career. She wanted to help improve care for people living in nursing homes.
“I knew early on I wanted to be the person receiving people’s loved ones in those difficult situations.”
Today, Janeen’s mom is living in a nursing home, which reinforces her passion for the job.
“I’ve been in the shoes of the family—I am in the shoes—and I know what kind of reassurance families need when they are walking into this situation.”
With more than 15 years of experience as a nurse—most of which has been in long-term care—Janeen has been at A.G. Rhodes Cobb since February 2023 as the Unit Manager. In her role, she has various responsibilities overseeing day-to-day operations. She serves as a liaison with the medical team, family members, and elders, and coordinates with team members across departments to ensure elders are receiving the highest quality care possible.
“I help make sure we’re making the best decisions on behalf of the elders we serve,” she said. “The best part for me is the interactions I have with multiple people—staff, families, elders, other departments, the medical director, administrator, admissions, infection control—having daily interactions with various people from whom I can glean a lot of wisdom.”
Janeen will soon apply her experience to a new initiative at A.G. Rhodes Cobb. The community is about to open its new memory care building which has been under construction for the past couple of years. The building will serve residents living with dementia and Janeen will be the building manager.
“One of my biggest crusades is making sure our staff is adequately trained for dementia care.”
And Janeen is confident in the team at A.G. Rhodes.
“Working in a nursing home has exposed me to so many aspects of the human condition. But the biggest and brightest spot I take away is that there’s not a person walking this building who doesn’t have the best interest of the elders at heart. Every decision is thoughtfully planned to give each elder the best outcome.”
Janeen is excited not only for her new role, but as a recent A.G. Rhodes Leadership Development Program graduate, she looks forward to continuing her leadership growth at A.G. Rhodes.
“I decided I’m going back to school to finish prerequisites to become a Registered Nurse.”
A.G. Rhodes Cobb Interim Administrator Jovonne Harvey says that Janeen is a natural leader.
“She is incredibly driven,” Jovonne said. “Her work ethic and leadership style inspire our team to succeed.”
Janeen says her motivation comes from seeing hard work pay off.
“I’m motivated by results,” she said. “If I’m seeing the best outcome from my staff and for the elder, that’s what keeps me motivated.”
Janeen added, “I love what I do, I wouldn’t do anything else.”
April 2024