Driven by her passion for providing quality healthcare, a Latvian woman has won over the hearts of the elderly residing in the nursing home she oversees, Cao Chen reports in Shanghai.

Latvian Anastasija Puzankova plays games with the elderly at the Jiufeng nursing home in Shanghai. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)

It is incredibly rare to find a Caucasian woman working as the director of a nursing home in Shanghai. But the fact that Anastasija Puzankova can even converse in Liantang, a Chinese dialect spoken only by residents in a small town in southwestern Shanghai, makes her one of a kind.

As the director of the Jiufeng nursing home in Liantang, Qingpu district, the Latvian's main responsibilities include supervising the nursing staff, attending internal training and overseeing administration.

Seeing as she can communicate fluently with her colleagues in Mandarin, there was no need for her to even pick up the dialect. But driven by the desire to understand her residents better, she spent a year learning the dialect.

Making an elderly person happy isn’t hard. It just takes a little time, love and thought

Anastasija Puzankova, director of the Jiufeng nursing home in Qingpu district, Shanghai

"I had always wondered how the elderly were getting along with others, or if they were well cared for. I realized that I could better serve them and understand their concerns if I spoke their dialect," says the 35-year-old, who also speaks Russian, English, Latvian, French and Spanish.

"The elderly people need more care and attention than we think. We have to try our best to make them happy and feel at home."

Puzankova, who was appointed as the director of the nursing home last year, is an example of how one's studies do not necessarily determine his or her career path.

Driven by her curiosity about China, Puzankova chose to study Sinology, learning about the history, politics and culture of ancient China at the University of Latvia in 2003. The next year, she traveled to Shanghai as part of an exchange program.

Little did she know that this marked the beginning of a new life in China－she spent the next 10 years studying law at Fudan University, graduating with a master's degree in 2014.

Despite her qualifications, Puzankova started her career at a major corporation that produced solar-energy equipment. She later joined a healthcare company that specialized in medical equipment and genetic tests, where she developed a passion for the field.

"I met many senior citizens when I was at the healthcare company. During this time, I learned that good health is important and that many elderly people require professional services to achieve this. As the aging population grows in China, I believe senior care will be a promising industry," she says.

Puzankova grows vegetables in the field near the nursing home. (GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY)

In 2018, Puzankova joined Haiyang Group, a Shanghai-based company that operates the nursing home, as an executive assistant. During that period, she performed so well in her nursing and management training that she was appointed the director of the home after just one year.

Her passion for this field has compelled her to learn from her global counterparts.

"I like the design of some nursing homes in the United States. Operators create home-like environments instead of decorating the place like wards," she says.

"For example, the walls would be decorated with baskets and fake flowers, and the elderly can move the flowers from one basket to another. This lovely idea also helps to improve their memory," she says.

When family visits and group activities were suspended during the novel coronavirus outbreak, Puzankova implemented a similar idea at the home, purchasing vegetable seeds and growing them in the field near the nursing home so that the residents can observe the plants growing from their windows.

"Just watching the plants grow can lift their spirits. We can also serve these organic vegetables to them," she explains.

A caregiver, surnamed Cai, says the atmosphere at the home has changed since Puzankova took charge.

"She makes life in the nursing home uplifting and purposeful," says Cai.

"She throws monthly birthday parties for the elderly, creates a festive mood in the home for every traditional festival and frequently organizes handicrafts classes and activities to stimulate the minds of the residents."

Puzankova says although the pace of life in Shanghai is accelerating, working with the elderly acts as a constant reminder of the importance of slowing down and looking after one's family and health.

Looking ahead to the future, the Latvian is planning to offer her services to more seniors in the surrounding areas, especially those with mental disabilities.

"I hope more volunteers will join us and more resources are accessible," she says.

"I simply like communicating with people, understanding their personalities and offering help when they are in need. Making an elderly person happy isn't hard. It just takes a little time, love and thought."

Contact the writer at caochen@chinadaily.com.cn