Life Care Center's Bacon is award-winning

Ricky Bacon, Life Care Center of Coeur d’Alene’s director of housekeeping has been honored as the Idaho Health Care Association Skilled Nursing Employee of the Year.

In a role where heroic efforts are often required, it is somehow fitting that the award was bestowed on a man often found wearing a cape. Bacon frequently dresses up in superhero costumes to brighten the days of the residents, though he’s just as eye catching when wearing one of the 150 distinctive ties he’s collected.

Noting that he sometimes fills in to fix toilets when other employees are away, Bacon joked about being the “best dressed janitor in the building.” It’s just one of the many roles he plays at Life Care.

“He never says no, ever,” said Donna Birch, Life Care Center of North Idaho’s marketing director. “He does a lot more than just his official job. He really cares about our residents.”

“I go where I’m needed,” Bacon said.

In addition to his housekeeping, janitorial and superheroic duties, “where he’s needed” includes running the center’s laundry department, admitting new residents and guests to the building, working on marketing, and representing the center both at job fairs and in community charities like Meals on Wheels and events like Relay For Life and the Spring Rake and Run. In many ways, he embodies the company motto, “Whatever it takes, and then some.”

Bacon directly oversees nine housekeeping employees, but he keeps connected with almost 150 more all over the facility.

“I know exactly what’s going on in the heartbeat of the building,” he said, “because I’m on the floor all the time, I’m not sitting behind my desk.”

“He’s very trustworthy, employees are not afraid to go to him if they need to,” Birch said.

“The only way to build a team is to trust people, so I in turn have to trust them as well,” Bacon said.

Bacon’s career began on a serendipitous note. Seventeen years ago, having lost a seemingly-secure job after a long period of working as a temp, he came home that same day to a phone call offering him a position at Life Care.

“A year and a half prior to that, I put an application in over here, then that day, I get a call asking if I had floor experience. I was so bummed before I got that call, because when I got that first job, I swore that if I got a permanent job, I was going to keep it.”

Bacon seems to have found that permanence at Life Center. “I walked in the door here, and I’ve been smiling ever since.”

Life Care also led to romance for Bacon, as it was where he met his wife Judy, another Life Care Center employee. The pair work hand in hand for the many charitable events Bacon is involved with.

Bacon’s award comes in response to a letter that former Life Care Center of Coeur d’Alene executive director Bryan Lindsay sent to the Idaho Health Care Association about the work Bacon was doing. He saw the letter, but was not expecting much to come of it.

“I thought it was sweet, and I sent it to my mom, I thought it was something my mom and my dad would like to see,” he said. “Then out of the blue later on, the Association chose me as their employee of the year. It’s an honor. I didn’t expect anything like it, but I’m happy that my boss recognized that.”

“I am humbled that they gave me the award,” he said, “because it could have been anybody in the state of Idaho.”

“I got really lucky. I picked this job up because I needed work, and now, even if I wanted to leave, I wouldn’t, because it’s been a good experience. It’s helped me grow.”

— Josh Montreuil