From an Early Age

Chris Caron - “My favorite memory at Dedham so far was during Halloween of 2020 when the staff dressed up in costumes to parade around for the residents. This brought a smile to many of the residents’ faces during such a stressful time,” Chris Caron, the Administrator of Dedham Healthcare, said with a smile on his face.

Chris’ pursuit of working in a field that services the well-being of others started at an early age. Growing up, Chris and his siblings would go to work with his Dad, who was a respiratory therapist. In between visiting hospitals and admiring his father’s ability to nurture the lungs of patients who were struggling to breathe, Chris’ desire to work in a healthcare-related field flourished.

Chris attended Salve Regina and received a Bachelors and Masters degree in Healthcare Administration. While originally thinking he wanted to be a physician’s assistant, this career path was altered by an eminent and supportive professor, who set Chris up with a local nursing home internship. Looking back now, Chris reflects on how grateful he was for this connection, as being an Administrator in a nursing home was not a career choice that was ever disclosed to him before.

Chris later embarked on a second internship with Next Step Healthcare. This second opportunity in the industry allowed him to see the unique ins and outs of the operations side of the industry.

Chris took these experiences and completed his administrative training program, which brings him to his current position. The evolution of his career path is one that Chris hopes to share with future administrators. He says that while the process requires you to learn a multitude of information, you need to rely on the people around you. Within each facility, there is a group of people who want to help one another in accomplishing their common goal, which is to offer the very best quality care to the residents who call the building their home. Chris mentioned that the most important information he would leave to a future administrator would be to “never be afraid to ask for help, use all your resources, and remember that you are all on the same team”.

Chris with his dad and brother

Chris and his parents

While it may not initially be thought of as a glamorous industry, Chris’ favorite part of the job is developing relationships with the residents. Every day is fast-paced, different and requires genuine human interactions. In addition to forming relationships within, Chris mentioned how they also focus on building roots within the community. Everyone, regardless of the community, knows someone who is in a care facility. Therefore, ensuring these people receive the very best care is the top priority for everyone. Overall, for the short-term rehab residents, Chris believes the most important thing is being able to facilitate them so that they are able to safely go back home to their family. For the long-term residents, Chris wants to make sure that they all feel like Dedham Healthcare is a warm, safe, and loving home.