VanderPlas retires after 31 years at LMCC

by Bonnie Kay Baldwin
Lake Mills Graphic
The Lake Mills Care Center celebrated 31 years with Nancy VanderPlas at a retirement party in her honor last Friday, Nov. 8. While a celebration, it was also sad, as staff and residents said goodbye to one of their most valuable employees.
Originally from Preston, Minn., VanderPlas and husband, Glen, moved to Joice in 1977, to join her dad, Ole (Carl) Olson, Lake Mills. He helped them find a house in the nearby small town.
“I had worked at the County Home until the day it closed, then was a home health aide for awhile. But, I didn’t have insurance and I saw that the LMCC had an opening, so I decided to go there. I thought, ‘I’ll stay for awhile until I find something else,” said VanderPlas. “But for some reason, I could never leave. This place just attaches itself to you . . . it’s just hard to explain. You’re taking care of the elderly and they have long lives, and you just try to make it the best you can for them. The stories and meeting the family, it just grows on you.
It can be difficult—you get attached to them, though you try not to. You learn about their family, you learn about their life, good or bad over the years, but you hear their stories—once, we came across a lady who had come across in a covered wagon. After awhile, they’re your family, and you’re a part of theirs.”
VanderPlas began her career with the LMCC in 1988 as a CNA, branching out into other areas as a bath aide, employee in housekeeping, supervisor of housekeeping and laundry, an environmental aide, and then back to CNA, then part-time in laundry again.
“The residents come in with so little. The rooms are so small, they have nothing, they leave everything behind, and I wonder, ‘What would I leave? What would I take?’ The residents also pass on, and when you go back (to the LMCC after you’ve been gone), and you find out someone isn’t there, and you wonder, ‘Did they pass away?”
The biggest change VanderPlas has seen over the years, are all the rules and regulations. Of course, the residents are always changing too . . . even a lot that have come for a short term.
“You’re always happy to see the ones go home that can, and you care for the ones who can’t, the best you can.”
Hobbies she has enjoyed are bowling, and collecting cookie jars until her family made her stop, but feels her biggest hobby has been the Care Center.
“I think my hobby has really been being here. If you weren’t at home, you were at the nursing home. You actually spent more time here, than you did at home. It’s your second home.”
Her husband was diagnosed with stomach cancer a year ago, this month. That is when she went to part-time work so she could take care of him, and transport him to all the medical appointments.
“It was very stressful with all the doctor’s appointments. I would fill in when I could. For awhile, they wanted me back full-time, but that wasn’t an option. I thought, I need to enjoy myself a little bit, and I have a new grandson whom I babysit. I just figured, it’s time to retire.”
“I’m having a little tough time retiring. You miss talking to the people, you miss seeing them.”
What she won’t miss, is driving to work in the winter.
“That was the hard part. Eight miles (from Joice to Lake Mills) doesn’t seem very far, but I tell you what, it’s 1:30 in the morning and there’s no school, you can’t see if you’re on the road; it’s bad.”
As for advice to give to new and future employees . . . “I was from the old training, which I think is better than the new. I just think employees need to treat the residents as they would want to be treated if they were in that position . . . treat them with kindness—I wouldn’t want someone to treat me badly because I couldn’t button my shirt. It should be, ‘let me help you button your shirt,’ and ‘let me help you put your shoes on.’ It’s an honor to really serve the residents. It’s hard to say what you really get from them; you get so much from them.”
VanderPlas is looking forward to spending more time with her family and baking with her grandkids for Christmas.
She has three sons: Christopher (Joice), Wesley (Virginia); and Courtney (Joice); along with four grandsons and two granddaughters, and a step-granddaughter who is expecting.  
“Working at the Lake Mills Care Center has been an amazing trip.”