Dana Blanchette
Daughter of a Resident
What does it mean to you to lead with love?
I always try to do the right thing, even if it isn’t what might be easiest for me to do. It was unbelievably hard to blindly place my mom at Bickford, not knowing anything about how the employees interacts with the residents, not being able to see the cleanliness of the Branch and not being able to observe other residents to make sure this was the right place for my mom. I spent countless hours crying and second guessing myself. Was I doing the right thing? With having worked in health care my entire career, I think I became my own worst enemy. Could it be possible that the staff is negligent? Could it be that the residents are pushed away and no one interacts with them? How is she going to like the food there? I had to lead with love and trust what I had been told and place my mom where I felt was the best fit for HER. I’ve never regretted that decision.
About Dana
- Daughter of resident, Bev Boudreau at Bickford of Bourbonnais
- Mother to four, grandma to eleven with two more on the way
- Raised on a farm in Illinois with meat, potatoes, a vegetable and bread with butter on the table every night
- Worked in healthcare her whole life – CNA to X-ray tech to Pathology and Histology
- Loves traveling with her husband and dogs, especially Pitbulls and Great Danes
