Nancy Vanthuyne is a friend to many
By Joan Janzen
The residents at Caleb Village all have one thing in common - they love Nancy Vanthuyne and the rest of her team. “They’re a wonderful group of caring people, and you should all be proud of the job you do. Love them all,” one resident posted on social media.
Additional comments expressed similar sentiments about Nancy, describing her as hard-working and dedicated. “You have your hands full, but never miss a beat,” a resident noted.
Nancy has never missed a beat since she took up the position as general manager fourteen years ago, when Caleb had only been up and running for six months. At that time, someone suggested she would be a good fit for the job.
Nancy Vanthuyne, General Manager at Caleb Village, says she loves coming to work every day. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Her experience in business helps her to manage the marketing at the facility. However, more importantly, Nancy describes herself as a people person. “I enjoy seniors. I just enjoy people,” she said. But there are two other qualities that Caleb’s manager considers to be necessary.
When she hires staff, she says, “They have to have compassion and care. We’re all here for the residents, not just for the job. This is a family here. We treat each other as a family.”
While working with the staff, Nancy ensures everyone is treated equally the same. “If there’s a job I wouldn’t do, I don’t expect them to do it,” she said. “There’s no ‘I’ in team. In order to make a team work, you have to work together. I have an amazing team.”
Each staff member gets to know the residents on a personal level and forms individual connections. For many of the staff, the residents become like their grandparents.
“One of our staff had a baby, and everyone wanted to see the photos,” Nancy said. “We had a baby shower, and it was really well attended. The residents loved it!”
Nancy gets a lot done in a typical day at work, but what she enjoys most is the people she meets. “It’s wonderful to meet them and welcome the residents, but it’s really hard to say goodbye to them,” she said. “My favourite part is moving people in. I make some really good friends, close friends.”
Not everybody can say they love coming to work every day, but Nancy makes the claim with wholehearted sincerity.