Compassion in Caring Award

Barbara Browning

A 12-year veteran volunteer at WISE & Healthy Aging, Barbara Browning is being honored for the countless hours of compassionate support she has provided to older adults and their caregivers.

The heart of quality assurance in patient care at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital for 45 years, Barbara retired in August 2010 and began volunteering at WISE & Healthy Aging little more than a month later.

Bringing her expertise as a nurse, program administrator and trainer, Barbara quickly became an integral part of the day-to-day operations of WISE & Healthy Aging, contributing her time to support a number of our programs.

Whether she is training both professional and family caregivers as part of WISE & Healthy Aging’s nationally recognized, evidence-based caregiver training curriculum and disease prevention programs or leading support groups for family caregivers, Barbara’s empathy and caring has made her invaluable to both clients and staff alike.

Her contributions also extend to teaching a variety of different classes as part of Club WISE for active seniors and WISE Minds for those with mild memory loss or the early stages of dementia. And, when the world went virtual during the pandemic, Barbara became a backup teacher for instructors who couldn’t teach because of COVID, helping to keep our clients connected and less isolated.

Barbara’s humility, presence and “know-how” have contributed greatly to the safe, caring and supportive environment that clients experience at WISE & Healthy Aging and we look forward to her continued contributions.