Providence Care Personal Support Worker (PSW) Vicki Kenny works at Providence Care’s brand-new hospice, AB Smith Homestead House, and she’s a bit of a household name.
To know Vicki is to love her, which is a sentiment shared by coworkers, patients and families alike.
A PSW for more than 30 years, Vicki is far more modest, shying away from the praise that comes with the care she provides.
“I just love caring for people. It’s something I’ve always done, and it’s just who I am,” Vicki says. “It’s funny to hear people say so many nice things about me, because I’m just being Vicki,” she laughs. “I just love everything about being a PSW.”
Vicki started working in the kitchen of a long-term care home at 15. Staff quickly saw how well she connected with residents and encouraged her to pursue a career in health care. She became a health care aide after high school and later upgraded to a PSW when Ontario unified the profession, graduating the same year her daughter finished kindergarten.
“We received our diplomas at the same time, which I always thought was sweet.”
Vicki worked in long-term care for years and always had a special place in her heart for her residents who were at the end of their life.
“I didn’t like to see people passing away alone and having them feel good was always my top priority. Massages, clipping their nails, lotioning their skin, sitting with them. I’d even stay late or come in on my days off just so they weren’t alone.”
Vicki applied to Providence Care’s AB Smith Homestead House before it opened in March 2025 and was among the team who started fresh inside the brand-new facility.
“Our team works so well together. We’ve really made it what it is,” she explains. “This is what all of us want to be doing and even the families say it feels like we were hand-picked to be here.”
Hospice care allows Vicki to take her time with patients. With nine funded beds, she makes it a point to connect with everyone during a shift, helping with meals and overall care.
Known for her relaxing spa experiences, you will find Vicki walking through the halls with her famous IV pole. Attached are the supplies she’s gathered over time to create her signature spa experiences.
“We have a therapeutic spa tub that I try to get everyone in, at least once. I dim the lights and bring in a little speaker so I can play whatever music they like, and I have this battery powered candle that I set out, and I just let them relax.”
For most people coming to hospice, a bath isn’t something they’ve been able to have for a long time. For Vicki, it’s a way to show dignity, compassion, and care.
“I’ve had patients who say, ‘nope, you’ll never get me in the tub,’ and then once they have the experience, they actually ask for it again,” she laughs.
Vicki also brings the spa experience to the patients’ room.
“I use a portable shower device, similar to what you’d use when camping, so I can wash the patient’s hair while they’re in bed. This is where the IV pole comes in handy because it’s hard to hold the chamber while at the same time washing hair, so we had an extra IV pole that was given to me. I hang the chamber part up there and I can wash people’s hair right from bed.”
Vicki has also become a bit of a hairdresser too, cutting hair when needed, blow-drying it, using the tools and supplies she has on hand.
“People are coming to hospice from different circumstances. Some people’s hair has become matted or overgrown.”
When asked why she goes out of her way, the way she does her answer is simple.
“Because it just makes sense. They’re deserving of feeling good, looking good, and living well while they’re here.”
That care doesn’t stop with Vicki. It’s something her family carries too.
Last Mother’s Day, her son donated puzzles, games and books to the children’s corner at AB Smith Homestead House—something he knew would matter to her. Her parents, who once played in a band, have even come in to sing for patients.
It’s a reflection of who Vicki is, both at work and at home.
“Some days are heavy; that’s just the reality of this work. But we get to connect with families in such a meaningful way, right when they need it most. When someone tells me I helped make their worst days a little easier, or that my smile lifted them up, that sticks. I’ve even had people say that just seeing my car in the parking lot made them feel like everything was going to be okay. That’s what keeps me going. It reminds me I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”
Personal Support Workers like Vicki are part of teams across Providence Care, supporting people in hospice, hospital, long-term care and the community. But at the heart of the role is something harder to measure: the small, deeply human moments that help people feel cared for, comfortable and seen, just as Vicki does every day.
If you’d like to recognize someone like Vicki who made a difficult time a little easier, you can give a gift in their name through the Honour Your Caregiver program with University Hospitals Kingston Foundation. All gifts support care for people in this community.
