Staff Profile: Gloria Gutierrez

Gloria Gutierrez, Mission Hospice's Spanish-speaking medical social worker, spent 20 years with San Mateo County Children's Protective Service before turning to work with the other end of the age spectrum.

"I was ready for a change," said Gutierrez, who was a family care worker and social worker in the Emergency Response, Family Reunification and Family Maintenance units. She explained she was initially drawn to youngsters after taking care of her grandparents until they died.

Six years ago, she retired from the county and became a volunteer with the county's ombudsman program, visiting nursing homes and acting as an advocate for patients. "I saw the vulnerability of the older adults who didn't have families looking out for them," she said. Her interest in older adults also was piqued while interning in a hospice program during college. It was this experience that influenced her decision to pursue her masters degree in social work, with an emphasis on aging adults.

"I was impressed by how instrumental hospice workers can be at the end of the life," she said. "I especially remember a homeless woman I worked with. She didn't want to discuss death. She didn't want to talk about God. But at the end, I helped her sister – who had a serious drug abuse problem – be part of supporting this dying patient. I was present to see the forgiveness they were able to share."

Gutierrez joined Mission Hospice in the fall of 2008. Part of her job is reaching out to the Peninsula's large Hispanic community. As a bilingual, bicultural woman, she's an integral part of extending Mission Hospice's "pre-hospice" Transitions program.

She admits that it's not always easy. She relies on her Catholic religion and regular exercise at the YMCA to strengthen her and help her cope with the difficulties. But ultimately, she finds the work extremely satisfying.

"I'm always on a two-way path," she said. "Hope is the last thing people are going to give up. At the same time, I'm teaching them that it's good to be prepared in case anything happens. Hospice can turn a tragic event into something that makes people more prepared and accepting."

Gloria Gutierrez – The Nutshell

Education and career:

• Bachelor's degree in home economics, San Francisco State University
• Masters degree in social work, San Jose State University

Personal:

• Born in San Francisco; raised in South San Francisco; resides in Menlo Park
• Single, mother of an adult son who recently graduated from law school and two teenage daughters attending Canada College