Page 57 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2026 - Online Magazine

HONORING
SMALL BUSINESSES

T he J our ne y of
The Journey of

VISITING ANGELS

by Chris Faubus

s the owner of Visiting Angels, I’d like you to treating them not as a burden, but as a delight! One
know that I have been a registered nurse for client told this story. Her husband of 60 years had
A41 years, graduating from Methodist Hospital passed away one year earlier. She admitted that,
School of Nursing in 1984. During my four-decade because of her grief, she was short-tempered with our
career in Lubbock, I've been a staff nurse at a local caregiver. Later that day, the caregiver brought her
hospital, nurse manager, home health nurse, office the family album and sat with her as she looked at the
nurse for a local endocrinologist and Chief Nursing lifetime of memories with her beloved soulmate.
Officer in two hospitals, which encompassed not only
all of the nursing staff, but also other departments Tears and laughter followed, and she apologized
within the hospital. to the caregiver, informing her that it was the first
anniversary of her husband's death. The client
As Chief Nursing Officer at my last hospital, I saw reported that the caregiver responded with a warm
many senior patients being discharged home who smile and said, "The love the two of you shared
either had no family in the area or relatives with
fulltime jobs who were not available to care for
their family member. Even if a physician ordered
home health care, that nurse would visit only
one to three times a week for just 45 minutes per
visit. Could the patient prepare a meal, dress
themselves without assistance, or take care of
personal needs without falling? Those thoughts
kept me awake at night. How would these
people find help?

One night, I had a dream that I was in a rowboat
in a storm-tossed ocean. Suddenly, I heard a
voice say, "It's time to get out of the boat and
on the water." I pondered that dream for a
week and finally asked the Lord to explain it
to me. His answer was simple. He said it was
time for me to move out of my comfort zone
and do what He had called me to do. At 55, I
resigned my position at the hospital and, on
December 15, 2003, Visiting Angels was ''born."
Our philosophy was the Golden Rule: "Do
unto others as you would have them do unto
you." I was so passionate about offering more
than services. It was about valuing people as
individuals who deserved dignity and respect.
Our caregivers will tell you that taking care of
our beloved seniors is not a job but a calling.
I've had numerous calls, letters, and cards over
the years, thanking us for honoring people by

Lubbock Senior Link 57