Phoenix Awards February Leader of the Month
Program Manager DeMarcus Taylor from Lydia House won February Leader of the Month.
DeMarcus had someone fall at his program resulting in a serious injury. I know that sounds like a funny a way to start a Leader of the Month nomination, but like so many things that happen, what you do 
about it is so much more important than what happened. DeMarcus, along with the staff at Lydia, worked tirelessly to make sure that the individual who fell received the best of care and that the fall wouldn’t happen again. Throughout the entire process, the team gave the family detailed updates in terms of what happened, how the person was recovering, and what things would look like moving forward.
I could summarize what they did, but the client’s sister put it into words far better than I could: “It is very important that you hear from me on how incredible Marcus, Angie, and the rest of Lydia staff were, have been, and are. John has only been a resident for a short period of time, but he has so benefitted from the knowledge, responsiveness, availability, and kindness of staff. As have I. I have full trust in this staff. John's room was taken care of with a new bed and set up with him in mind while still keeping the arrangement manageable for staff to assist with his new need for care.
Marcus has always been available for me to call with questions, and he truly always has the answer and/or finds the answer. As a family member, this has been so valuable. John is an important part of our (family) lives, and for us to have good and open communication, helps in supporting John in the family environment also. Dealing with families is not always easy, but Marcus and staff have shown such patience with us. This living situation and John's needs are all very new to us and I feel supported, as well as John, with Marcus in the lead.
I have witnessed a true respect for not only John, but Kim, Mary Kay, and Peter as well. Business is taken care of with compassion and respect. And it is so very nice to see and hear the fun and laughter. Be assured, it has always been appropriate. Lydia is a home setting with daily challenges you find in any home. This is what makes it a true home to me and I think John has similar feelings. I am thankful every day for the help and support from Phoenix/Lydia, Marcus and staff. The move to Lydia was a very good choice.”
Shortly thereafter, one of the individuals of the Lydia House had her father pass away. Again, DeMarcus and his team provided compassionate counsel to both the individual and their family. Times like this can be hard, but people will never forget how you handle it and Lydia’s team did the best anyone could have done. Along with this, Lydia’s budget should have been awful in 2018 based on budgetary projections and changes in the house’s rates of service. DeMarcus did everything he could to both reduce spending and expedite an admission, making what should have been bad okay in the long run. It is for that and many other reasons I have the pleasure of nominating DeMarcus as Leader of the Month!