The Gracedale Family: A Welcoming Workplace

George C. Bensing started as a part-time dietary aide at Gracedale 19 years ago. But even a decade before that, you could find him on the grounds with his grandpa.

“My family has had ties to Gracedale and the County for many years,” George said. “My great-great-grandfather was the Director of the Poor in the 1920s, and my great-grandfather was the Clerk of the Orphans Court in the 1960s.”

In a way, George says, it makes him feel like he belongs at Gracedale.

“I’ve always liked being around the elderly and hearing their stories. There were a lot of World War II veterans back then with fascinating stories.”

His grandpa, the owner of George G. Bensing Funeral Homes in Bath, tried to get George to inherit the family business. George did go to school for mortuary science for a year, but then he changed his mind.

“At Gracedale, I found my own way of taking care of people,” he said. “I like working with the living, talking with them, and helping them.”

Since then, George took a job as a Gracedale groundskeeper in 2011 with Parks & Recreation, where he applied skills he had learned on his grandpa’s farm. He moved up to a maintenance job in 2015. Most recently, he became Associate Supervisor of Maintenance, where he works closely with Supervisor Guy Laurin.

Over all these years of dedication, George has taken pride in giving residents a warm, welcoming smile as he walks the grounds. Each of them says hello as we walk by, and several of them stop to ask him about his recent wedding anniversary or his young children.

These days, the Maintenance crew has plenty of projects. When he comes in each morning, resident-related needs are the first order of business.

“Coming in, we all have a common goal that the residents’ needs are taken care of,” he said. “We often have a TV that needs repair, and I check with the kitchen to make sure everything is in working order. I also check with residents who have power wheelchairs every day, since it’s their major mode of transportation.”

When there is a critical issue, especially with an aging building, it’s all-hands-on-deck for the 12-person crew.

“We have an exciting project coming up involving upgrading the conveyor system in the dietary department. It should make the delivery of food more efficient for the residents.”

Most of all, George likes the family atmosphere of working at Gracedale. “If you want to come to a workplace and feel wanted, this is the place. And, if you want to learn a trade and shape your skills, this would be a good place to work.”

George actually met his wife Emma at Gracedale, too, where she serves residents as an occupational therapist assistant.

“I met her in the North East elevator, and it was love at first sight,” he said. Today they are celebrating their ninth anniversary, and they have two children, ages 7 and 2. George plans to continue the family tradition; he brings his son and daughter to the nursing home during summer festivals and parties. They are all part of the Gracedale family.