| Shauna O’Brien |
Shauna O’Brien, last year’s Sun Advocate business Woman of the Year, is owner and manager of Heirloom Inn. Heirloom Inn opened in November of 2000, but the work began before the doors opened. Shauna began researching the retirement and nursing field years before and fullfilled a dream when the doors opened. Heirloom Inn was created from a dream of a beautiful place to live in retirement years.
Together Shauna and Dave O’Brien purchased a closed-down grocery store called D & G Warehouse. “I sat down and started sketching what I envisioned the building might look like and passed on the sketches to my husband, who with an architect, took the dreams to the next level.
Shauna is a successful business woman concerned not only for the health and well-being of her patrons but community beautification and improvement as well.
Retirement communities, such as the Heirloom Inn, are apartment complexes that provide most of the services found in a fine hotel. Residents occupy their own private apartment, furnished with their own belongings. They live as they always have, but with many new conveniences. They are freed from the everyday problems many seniors experience with home maintenance as well as the more pervasive issues of boredom, isolation and the resulting spiritual decline.
Dignity is very important to O’Brien explaining how everything at Heirloom Inn is focused on this concept. This begins with dressing and grooming, and also transcends into staying active and maintaining independence. Even the exercise of getting to and from the dining room three times a day is providing more exercise than most residents were getting in their homes.
Shauna operates a very successful business. She serves her patrons with love, comfort, compassion and expertise. She also finds time to volunteer her services to the community.