Spend much time at Bickford, and before long you’re bound to hear the word ‘family.’ All Bickford employees are called family members—yet nowhere is the phrase more literal than among the staff at Bickford of Omaha Hickory.

Bertina Whaley has spent 14 years at Omaha Hickory, first as a CNA med aid and now as the branch happiness coordinator. No fewer than five of her family members have since joined her there. Her sister Bridget is the cook; her mother Lori, the assistant cook; daughter Tinasia is a CNA med aid; and nieces Brianna and Dazha are both CNAs.

“We really take our jobs seriously,” Bertina says. “My family does make a difference and we do change lives because we really care.”

As happiness coordinator, Bertina organizes activities and outings for residents, from bingo at the branch to a walking club at the nearby mall. She brings the residents to downtown Omaha to see the buildings and parks where many worked and played with their families years ago, giving them the chance to reminisce about the old days.

“We take them on outings that are meaningful,” she says. “When I see them excited that makes me feel good.” Bertina remembers bringing one resident on her first-ever trip to a nail salon. When the senior saw how lovely her pedicure turned out, she started to cry.

“To us having your nails done is little stuff, but for her it was the biggest thing ever,” she recalls. “I know that I made her happy at that moment.”

When she’s not caring for Bickford residents, Bertina spends her time as a foster parent to three teenagers and Granny to her 4-year-old granddaughter, Nuri. Whether it’s taking Nuri to a children’s museum or trampoline park or picking up McDonald’s coffee on the way to work as a treat for residents, Bertina is always looking for small ways to make a big difference.

“It’s all about the Bickford way,” she says. “We have a different way of treating and respecting people.”