“OHANA. This one (Hawaiian) word that transcends the meaning of family. Ohana is more than your blood relatives…..Ohana is everyone.”

- Anonymous

After an extended time providing care for a patient on the Big Island of Hawaii, Brandi fell in love with the land, sea, and Hawaiian culture. This experience inspired the name Ohana Angel.

She began her caregiving career as a young teen babysitting, helping her mother in the church nursery and working in the infant room at a daycare after High School. At the age of 21, she moved into the world of geriatrics becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant and a few years later would be blessed with the opportunity to provide care for her own grandmother on hospice. This deeply personal experience opened her eyes to the tenderness and beauty of hospice and end of life care.

For 20 years, Brandi has been a Certified Home Health Aide, employed by hospices in the Sierra Nevada foothills, providing assistance with activities of daily living, showering ambulatory patients and providing bed baths for those bed-bound. She has also served numerous families as a private caregiver, providing companionship, cooking, meal prepping and education for family members navigating care for their aging loved ones.

Brandi’s unique caring style proves contagious. Her interactions with patients and family members are extraordinary, having a knack for making everyone feel comfortable during a very difficult time for any family. She finds joy while listening to her patients tell stories from their past, embraces the quiet times and strives to serve families in any way needed. Her excellence in hospice care was recognized when she earned the Dame Cicely Saunders Award for her outstanding professionalism, compassion and end-of-life advocacy.

Thank you letters to Brandi

“Dearest Brandi,

You brought sunshine into our house twice a week on David’s “spa days”. He always looked forward to your visits, as did I. Your cheerful kindness CANNOT be overstated. You deserve an award! We were so lucky to have you in our lives and want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

-Vicki

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“Brandi,

We just wanted to say thank you for all the love and care you gave our mom. You were so gentle and loving and came faithfully. You made a difference in all our lives and will never forget you. Merry Christmas,

Love, Sue”

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“Brandi,

Words cannot express how thankful I am for the care, compassion and joy you brought my mom. She lit up and smiled with every one of your visits! You are truly amazing and what you do is a blessed gift! I am forever grateful.

-Shirley”

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“Brandi,

There are so many things I want to thank you for and the words will never express how thankful, grateful and appreciate I am. From the moment I saw you that first night in my Moms home your positive energy just radiated from within. Your beautiful smile and contagious laughter makes me smile just thinking about them. The enthusiasm you bring into your work environment by taking such great care of my Mom. Your competency is so obvious. When (the nurse) brought to my attention that first day by making the statement, “this was the first time she had seen Mom handled correctly” that was a very big stamp of approval and such a great relief for me. I now felt we had the help we needed to deal with a bed bound situation that none of us were prepared for.

As the days passed and I watched the transformation in her household and her heath, it gave me such hope. To see her get out of bed to the wheelchair and the potty was more than I had ever expected. To watch your playful way of handling each situation with humor and a great deal of dignity was heart warming. When you come into a room to see the pure joy that you give my Mom its fantastic. To witness the banter between the two of you when it comes to who was going to win the discussion has been so entertaining. All of these cherished moments will never be forgotten by any one of us. You have given my Mom the best quality of care, understanding and love. You have given me peace of mind, comfort when I needed it the most and such joy in watching you when you are with Mom.

-Cathy