Meet Love Dave of Elmhurst Extended Care Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Love Dave.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Love. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started working at the Elmhurst Extended Care Center in December 2007 as an intern when finishing my bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. When I graduated in May 2008 and my internship completed I was having trouble finding a job.

I applied for positions daily, and as I waited for the phone to ring, I went back to Elmhurst Extended Care Center to volunteer almost daily. After a month or so of volunteering the owner and administrator of the business approached me and asked me why I come every day and work for free. So I told him how I was trying to find a job and was having trouble. I told him that I didn’t like sitting on the couch all day. I enjoyed working with the residents and employees of Elmhurst Extended Care Center. He told me that if I was going to show up every day and work for free then he’s going to have to start paying me. He didn’t have a specific job for me to do so told me to keep working wherever they needed help. That gave me experience in so many different departments.

I worked in social services, activities, bookkeeping, admissions, marketing, maintenance, kitchen, and medical records. I did that for 6 months until I was approached again by the administrator and he asked me, what I enjoyed doing the most in the past 6 months after experiencing so many different departments. I told him that I enjoyed it all and wanted to continue working in that capacity. He told me that was essentially what his job was. To support every department as needed. He said that if I really wanted to do that, then I had to get my Nursing Home Administrator license. So I sat in the office right next to the administrator and started to learn about how to do that job. I listened to how he managed the facility and sat in on meetings to learn what needed to be learned. I studied the federal and state rules and took the exams to get my license. I then became the assistant administrator. In the middle of 2013 the owner and administrator decided to retire and sell the facility. He gave me the opportunity to purchase the facility. I of course didn’t have the capital to purchase a facility of this size so I talked to family and friends and soon after had the support I needed to be able to take over. My family and I have owned the facility since 2014 and have continued to run the facility to the best of our ability. We’ve been carrying on the values of the previous owner and administrator but still transitioning to meet the demands of the community. It’s been a fantastic 10 year journey.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I would say it has been mostly a smooth road. I had a great leader that was able to help me learn along the way and that really helped reduce the number of challenges I faced. In skilled nursing though, there are always challenges. From regulatory challenges to meeting the expectations of our referral sources and our residents, every day has its hurdles. But that’s what I love about this area of work. No two days are the same. When we go home at the end of the day, we know we’ve helped people and are doing meaningful work. It’s what keeps me and my colleagues going.

Elmhurst Extended Care Center – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Elmhurst Extended Care Center is a 108 bed skilled nursing facility. We offer short term rehabilitation, long term care, and certified Alzheimer’s care. We are rated 5 out of 5 stars by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We are a family owned and operated business. One of only a few in the entire state of Illinois. I’m most proud of our staff longevity because it is why we are able to offer the best care around. People come here after experiencing care in other facilities that offer skilled nursing and are blown away by the difference. We truly care about our residents and their families. We are the cleanest facility around and we take pride in our home. We’re pursuing an expansion to offer more comforts to our residents. We’ve purchased adjacent land and are going through the zoning process now,

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is accomplishing goals that lead you to new opportunities. If you are moving forward and constantly improving, that is success to me. If you look at companies like Google and Amazon, they are constantly evolving to offer new and better services. That’s my benchmark for success. Personally, if I’m doing things to help my company and my colleagues move forward and improve professionally and personally, I feel like I’m succeeding.

Contact Info:

• Address: 200 E. Lake St., Elmhurst, IL 60126
• Website: www.ElmhurstExtendedCareCenter.com
• Phone: 6305165000
• Email: info@eeccmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElmhurstExtendedCare/
• Twitter: @ElmExtCare
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elmhurst-extended-care-center-elmhurst

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