If you think staying on top of your laundry at home is tough, imagine staying on top of the laundry of 243 residents.
That’s the task Housekeeper Shelley Spence faces every day with her team when she arrives at Providence Care’s long-term care home, Providence Manor.
“The thing I love most about my job is the residents,” explains Shelley.
Shelley joined the Housekeeping Department in 2017 and recently moved into Laundry, where she collects, folds and delivers clothing for residents. However, Providence Manor has been her second home much longer. She began her career at the long-term care home 35 years ago, working as a Personal Support Worker for 27 years before moving to Housekeeping.
“Some of my coworkers have become like family to me. I’m so blessed to have had the chance to meet and learn from a lot of them over the years.”
And while some of her coworkers feel like family, two of her coworkers within the Housekeeping Department are family.
“Having both my sons work here has been amazing. I worked here as they were growing up, and I love Providence Care’s mission so much that they wanted to follow in my footsteps. I won’t lie, though, sometimes it’s stressful to stop being ‘Mom’ and just be their coworker,” Shelley says.
Shelley explains there is a very detailed and organized system for keeping the residents’ laundry organized, washed, dried and placed back inside closets. Laundry is collected and kept organized based on the Resident Home Area. Name labels inside the clothing are vital to success. Once washed and dried, the clothing is hung and placed on alphabetized, rolling clothing racks and hand-delivered to each resident’s closet.
“It’s not just about laundry,” Shelley shares. “It’s about making sure residents feel comfortable, cared for, and at home. That’s what keeps me coming back every day.”
And while Shelley and her team at Providence Manor are known as Housekeeping, at Providence Care’s other locations – including Providence Care Hospital, Providence Transitional Care Centre, Providence Care’s Hospice AB Smith Homestead House and across our many community-based programs – these dedicated teams are called Environmental Services.
No matter the name, their role is the same: keeping spaces clean and safe for patients, clients, residents, staff, students and volunteers.
Providence Care Service Manager, Environmental Services, Dave Smith, says their impact is often overlooked but vital.
“Our work may happen behind the scenes, but it’s at the core of patient safety, wellness and recovery. A clean and safe environment builds trust, reduces infection risk, and creates a place where healing can happen.”
Providence Care proudly recognizes the contributions of Environmental Services staff across the organization. From Shelley and her Housekeeping colleagues at Providence Manor to the Environmental Services teams at every site and program, their dedication helps create safe and welcoming spaces where care, wellness and healing can occur every day.
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