Pamela (Pam) Daniels
2023 Caregiver of the Year Awards: Home Care, Southeast

Pamela (Pam) Daniels, CNA

“When I see Crystal smile, my day is good,” says Fred S. After Fred’s adult daughter, Crystal, suffered a stroke, caregiver Pamela (Pam) Daniels began caring for her. Resourceful, organized and compassionate, Pam quickly became a beloved member of the family providing Crystal with the support she needs for her aphasia and physical challenges. As Fred’s wife’s health declined – and she eventually passed away – Pam’s irreplaceable role in the family became even more essential. Read more about how Pam supports Crystal’s daily needs, as well as the rest of the family. 

Nomination Letter 

Written by the client’s father, Fred  

We interviewed several companies when deciding who would provide services for my daughter, Crystal, and we chose BrightStar Care because they thought Pam would be a perfect fit and wanted to select her for us immediately. It did not take long for us to bond because Pam has the type of personality that makes you feel loved, appreciated, and taken care of. One of her most admirable traits is that she is a completely God-fearing woman. I know I can always get her unless it’s church time, and I have so much respect for that. But I can always count on her to do everything in her power to be here and work as a team player with me and the rest of our family in providing Crystal with the most exceptional care. For example, she always goes to Crystal’s doctor visits with us so that she can help me remember everything I need to bring up to the doctor. She is also greatly informed with helpful resources and always thinks to share them with us. She helped get us connected with an organization called Chefs for Seniors so that we can have our meals bought and prepared for us at a very affordable price. Pam is just so compassionate and always on the lookout for ways to help us out. 

Pam is so organized that I know all I have to do when she arrives is just get out of her way. She does everything professionally, and she takes it upon herself to do extra tasks to help out like cleaning and organizing Crystal’s clothes and linens. She’s not only organized with her time, but she’s also extremely giving and flexible with her time because she’s always more than happy to make adjustments to her personal schedule just so I can have more opportunities to get out and do things I need to do. This means so much to me because Pam has a big family of her own with grandchildren, so I know she has a lot to juggle. She is extremely dedicated to her own family and only takes off when there’s a crisis with them. This is very reassuring to me because I know that Pam considers us family too and would drop everything in an instant if we needed her. 

As a result of Crystal’s stroke, she battles a number of ailments. Pam is completely dedicated to working with Crystal on anything she’s struggling with to help achieve ultimate improvement and success. Crystal also experiences aphasia, but Pam is always ready and excited to help her with talking and annunciation. Crystal obtained both a bachelor's and master's degree and since she can no longer work within her realm of education because of her illness, Pam encourages her and helps her succeed in any way that she can. 

Pam and Crystal love each other deeply. She has quickly become a member of the family and probably knows more about my own family than I do! She is very involved in family events, always making sure she is able to help Crystal be present at everything. For example, we recently had a Ramadan event with the rest of the family, so Pam made sure she got Crystal ready and present at the event. Crystal loves getting dressed up and looking nice, so Pam will go the extra mile, doing things like painting Crystal’s nails or dressing her up beautifully just to go to antique stores. 

When I had to call 911 the day my wife passed, the third call made was to Pam. She came over right away and took care of everything I needed her to. She got Crystal dressed and ready, and I knew I could focus fully on my wife because I trusted Pam completely to take perfect care of Crystal. Pam went to my wife’s funeral service, and I vividly remember that when my sister-in-law came in, she broke down and told Pam that she might need her more than Crystal does. We re-watched the funeral service back online because it was all filmed, and in the video, we saw Pam get up from her seat at the front with Crystal to move back and sit with and comfort Crystal’s aunt. It touches my heart every time I go back and watch it because we know the impact of what’s happening. 

When I can see Crystal smile, my day is good. My life is her life now, so it is my responsibility to make sure she is always happy and well taken care of. Pam adds unimaginably to Crystal’s overall quality of life, and she deserves so much acknowledgment for this. Pam and Crystal are unbelievably close, which makes it so easy for Pam to know exactly what to do to make Crystal laugh and smile. For Crystal’s birthday a few months ago, Pam was so excited to help decorate, and she did a phenomenal job with it. Crystal has many silly sayings and phrases, so Pam made laminated handouts to pass out at the party with all of Crystal’s major phrases on them. Pam even took it upon herself to assist Crystal in going above and beyond with all sorts of decorations for an appreciation celebration we hosted for my sister-in-law who was battling a major illness. That’s just how thoughtful Pam is and how much of a part of the family she is. 

When my wife started getting worse, we began using Pam for 8 hours 5 days a week. Therefore, Pam will always hold a very special place in our hearts because she was an important part of my wife’s life as well. From cooking up a chef-level meal to calling me to ask if there’s anything we need her to get for us, I know that we’re as just as important to Pam as she is to us. If it were not for the possibility of losing Pam, I would absolutely recommend her for a management or course instructor position because of the great wisdom and brilliant ideas she has about caregiving. The experience we’ve had with her would be impossible to replace with anyone else, and she truly deserves the utmost recognition for the incomparable person she is.