by Bob Van Dyk, CEO of Van Dyk Health Care
Last month I shared what some might describe as the “accidental” way our family entered this profession and a little bit about our family’s founders, Barney, Marvin, and Bill. What most people know is that our family has always had very strong
religious ties and a deep belief in the Bible.
I was raised to believe, and still do, that everything that happens in our lives is part of God’s plan for us. So when Dad and Pop’s low ball offer to buy our first nursing home was accepted they didn’t see this as a stroke of luck, an accident, or mistake. They saw this as God’s way of saying, I want your family to care for others, specifically the elderly. As a result, we have always looked upon what we’ve done for the past 70 years as a calling from God.
Our family has been blessed over these 70 years and we have experienced the joy of helping those in need of the care we have been honored to provide. But we don’t believe the care we provide is limited to the resident or patient. We need to care for the families of our seniors as well as the families of our staff. We truly believe we are a “family caring for family.”
Before I get too far ahead in our story I thought I’d first share some fun facts that few if any know about.
Did you know that until they purchased the third nursing home Barney (aka) Pop owned a grocery store on Park Ave in Paterson. Back in the 1940’s and 50’s Park Ave in Paterson was THE address to have. It would be like saying, today, that you lived on Rodeo drive in Hollywood. His grocery store was called “Van Dyk Market”.
Did you know that Pop was a butcher. In the early days before Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or Stop and Shop they didn’t have “grocery stores” as we know them today. The first true grocery store wasn’t seen until the Piggly Wiggly in 1926. Before that you went to your butcher for meat or a fishmonger for seafood. If you didn’t grow your own fruits vegetables, you went to a fruit and vegetable stand or a “greengrocer” (produce vendors). There were also “dry groceries” where you could buy canned goods, cooking supplies and other nonperishable items. Pop was the first local grocer to sell everything in the same store which today we call a grocery store. As a boy my dad would do deliveries, by bicycle, to people’s homes. Oh yes, home deliveries were a thing long before COVID, LOL. With Pop’s strong business acumen and his obvious knowledge of the food business, he handled all financial and dietary areas of the business.
-
CEO Marvin Van Dyk
-
Gertrude, Marvin & Bob Van Dyk
-
CEO Bob Van Dyk
Did you know that Gertrude (aka Mom) was a bookkeeper at the Christian Sanitorium (aka the Christian San). Today you might know it as the Christian Health Care Center. Because of that background Mom did all of the bookkeeping and billing for the nursing homes. I can still remember our dining room table being covered with big black leather ledgers with green lined pages filled with numbers. When she would do her monthly reconciliations, she wouldn’t rest until everything worked out to the exact penny.
Did you know that prior to the purchase of the family’s first nursing home in Allendale, Marvin (aka Dad) was a florist. Yes, that’s right, a florist. He had two floral shops with one on Union Ave in Clifton. But Dad always loved medicine and to make extra money he worked nights as an orderly at the Dumont Hospital. It was there the doctors encouraged my dad to go look at buying the nursing home in Allendale.
Did you know Marvin/Dad was a nurse? Back in the 1950’s you could sit for the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) exam without going to school. It was called a waiver program. With sufficient experience and knowledge an individual could apply to take the exam and if passed, become a waivered LPN. That was my Dad.
Once the family took ownership of the first nursing home, Dad oversaw the nursing department and the care of our residents, Pop took care of the ordering of all food and supplies and overall finances, Mom’s mother Ruth (aka Grandma Fuhr) did all of the cooking, and I (at three months of age) was the activities department. The residents fed me, changed my diapers, and played with me. These days I can’t always remember where I placed my cell phone but I can still remember rolling up and down the linoleum (as they were called) floors in my little baby walker.
In the coming months I’ll continue to share our family’s journey, how our philosophy of care evolved and hopefully more fun tidbits few people know. Thank you for allowing me to share our story. It’s hard to believe 70 years have transpired since that first day.