Welcome to Misericordia: The New Family Orientation 
by Barb Quaintance
We all vividly remember the day our family member became a Misericordia resident, even if that was many years ago. It was likely marked by some combination of joy, excitement, sadness, and trepidation. The following weeks were also emotional: helping our child navigate this huge transition, learning about all the staff involved in our child’s care, and understanding the expectations of being a member of the Misericordia community. We looked to the staff to give us all the “facts”, but we might have felt like we needed a sherpa to help navigate this new and sometimes overwhelming situation. That’s where the Misericordia Family Association (MFA) comes in.
The MFA is the membership organization for parents/guardians of residents at Misericordia; in fact, families automatically become members when their family member is admitted to Misericordia. It’s the MFA's goal to welcome new families—parents and siblings—and to provide support over the years.
The immediate Past Chairs of the MFA serve as liaisons to new parents/guardians and are responsible for facilitating periodic New Family Meetings. The frequency of these meetings is dictated by the number of new admissions at any given time. The orientation includes the Past Chairs, the MFA Chairs, and the President of the Siblings (SIBS) group. Additionally, several members of Misericordia’s leadership team participate in the meeting, with one highlight being remarks by Father Jack Clair, Misericordia’s President and Executive Director. Geana Connelly, Vice-President of Strategy, People & Culture, and Lindsey Wilkens, Social Service Director, provide important information to families. Assistant Vice-Presidents from the new families' living areas and social service coordinators are also in attendance to answer questions.
One of the goals of the orientation is to provide attendees with a full circle view of life at Misericordia. The orientation provides attendees with an informative resource guide that covers everything from the MFA-SIBS website and the MFA Benefit to setting up email and the parents' portal.
Current Past-Chair, Pam Capraro, says her primary goal is to be a welcoming presence for new families. She and Jim focus on the need for volunteers, and the benefits of volunteering and being part of a supportive community. During the orientation, not only do the families hear from the experts, but they also have a chance to hear from each other. Pam says this is the best part of the time together. It’s powerful to hear people’s emotions and how they’re navigating this major life transition.
To the new Misericordia families, welcome! We’re fortunate to be in this together!
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