Caregiver’s kindness paves way to Gustin’s deepened love of field, Veteran VIP status

Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2025 Women of Distinction honorees daily through Aug. 18. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.

In her professional role, Danielle Gustin commits herself to providing the best quality care to older adults across the country.

With more than 15 years of experience in nursing, Gustin, the chief nursing officer at Village Caregiving, Barboursville, WV, is responsible for maintaining quality and safety standards for its in-home care services for older adults and their families.

At VCG, she established an internal auditing process for conducting monthly compliance checks for all of its employees, ensuring adherence to company standards. This process includes background checks and mandatory training, even in states without specific requirements.

In 2023, Gustin and a fellow nurse created a comprehensive training program for caregivers, encompassing presentations, videos, demonstrations and competency evaluations. The program ensures that caregivers are thoroughly prepared to assist older adults with activities of daily living before their first shift, regardless of whether they are a new or experienced caregiver. Through her program, caregivers go through demonstrations such as how to change a client, how to bathe them and how to transfer them into a wheelchair. All of VCG’s caregivers must demonstrate their proficiency before they start working with a client, by passing a comprehensive questionnaire.

Gustin’s dedication to home care deepened when her grandmother required home care services, her nominator explained. She saw firsthand how caring for an aging loved one can affect a family when her grandmother received a diagnosis of dementia and primarily was cared for by Gustin’s aunt. Seeking respite, her aunt contacted one of VCG’s offices, and a caregiver was assigned to assist her grandmother as her condition progressed.

The caregiver’s commitment provided Gustin’s aunt with much-needed rest and the ability to manage household tasks, and her grandmother formed a loving bond with the caregiver, her nominator said. Remarkably, the caregiver extended her support beyond working hours during her grandmother’s final days, offering comfort and companionship to her family. This experience reinforced Gustin’s belief in the profound impact of compassionate home care, highlighting its importance in preserving dignity and providing personalized support for both clients and their families.

Throughout her career, Gustin has dedicated herself to providing exceptional care, and she has received awards recognizing her commitment accordingly. Although not widely publicized, those honors mean much to her because they reflect the positive effects she has had on her clients’ lives, her nominator noted.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Healthcare Services Group was the Platinum sponsor of this year’s festivities, and PharMerica was the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors included Affinity Health Services, Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, EasyShifts, Guardian Pharmacy Services, Marquis Health Consulting Services, Priority Life Care, Reliant Rehabilitation, Reside Admissions and Sentrics.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2025 and previous years.