Formerly our Director of Nursing, Diana Matthews was promoted to Executive Director on May 1, 2025. She possesses a wealth of clinical, administrative, and home health care knowledge and brings almost 25 years of career experience to her new position.
When asked what drew her to the community, Diana says, “I love how it feels like home. It is very personable and family friendly. I just love the whole feeling of Vintage Care, and the residents are wonderful.”
“I have great relationships with my residents’ families,” she continues. “They have my personal cell number and can text me on the weekends.” Diana describes the role of Executive Director as being a “24/7 responsibility,” adding “These are people my heart didn’t even know it needed until I got here.”
Diana’s Local Roots
Diana has lived in Putnam County most of her life. Born in Tallahassee, she moved to the city of Interlachen when she was in the 1st grade.
When she graduated from high school, she went to work at Apple House, a small assisted living facility located in Crescent City, Florida. Her duties were similar to those of a CNA.
Diana enjoyed providing direct patient care, which included assisting with daily activities and basic needs like bathing and dressing. She was responsible for keeping residents safe and comfortable, including monitoring vital signs and reporting any changes in a resident’s condition.
Her experiences working in assisting living made her decide to pursue a career in the medical field. She attended nursing school at First Coast Technical College (FCTC) in St. Augustine and earned an LPN degree.
Close Relationships with Her Grandparents Led to an Interest in Geriatrics
Diana was very close to her mom’s mother and stepfather, and her relationships with her grandparents led her to an interest in geriatrics. “When I was a child, I stayed with my grandparents a lot. I spent all my summers with them until I was a teenager.”
Part of Diana’s stomach wasn’t fully developed when she was born. “I was so tiny,” she says, “and my grandmother was ill at the same time. My grandfather took great care of us. I have a photo of him holding me with one hand and cooking for my grandmother with the other. He was wonderful.”
“My grandfather was on hospice care when I was pregnant with my daughter, who’s now 13,” she says. “He kept asking me, ‘When’s that baby going to get here?’ I’m so thankful he lived to meet her.”
A Family Feel Sets Vintage Care Apart
Once Diana completed nursing school and passed her boards, she landed a job at a family practice that provided both medical and dental care. She worked there for 15 years and specialized in caring for older adults.
Her other career experience before becoming the Director of Nursing at Vintage Care in June 2023 includes being a practice manger for a group of three physicians and working in marketing for a home health care agency.
When she worked in home health care, Vintage Care was one of Diana’s accounts. She had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at the community assisting with parties, bingo, and arts and crafts. She shares, “I told the person who was the Director of Nursing, if you ever leave, please let me know because this is my dream job.”
During her many visits to Vintage Care, Diana observed that the employees were caring and attentive and that quite a few had been on staff for 5 years or more. “This is always a good sign regarding the quality of the community,” she says.
Longevity of staff isn’t the only thing that sets Vintage Care apart from other assisted living and memory care facilities. Diana says it’s the overall culture and environment. Vintage Care “just feels homier,” she says. “It feels like a big family here. I love my residents. I miss them when I’ve off on the weekends, and I can’t wait to get back to them on Mondays and give them a hug.”
Diana Enjoys Busy, Meaningful Days
Diana usually arrives at the community by 8:30 am, and sometimes she’s onsite as early as 6 am. Her first tasks of the day typically include checking email and visiting residents. “I always do a run through Memory Care, and give my people hugs,” she says.
The Executive Team also comes together each morning for a brief meeting to touch base regarding any new residents who are moving in, residents currently in rehab or in the hospital, which residents if any have been placed on antibiotics, and other important recent developments.
Diana is committed to staying abreast of the activities being offered to residents each day, the specifics regarding the menus from dining services, and other details that impact the quality of daily life for all members of the community.
She attends therapy and hospice meetings and visits any residents who are in rehab or at the hospital. “My primary focus is to support each staff member to provide the best care possible,” she says.
Continuous Improvement Is Her Goal
No detail is too small to escape Diana’s notice, and she has many ideas and plans regarding making continuous improvements to enhance life at Vintage Care.
Just one example is seasonal decorating, which offers numerous benefits to residents and staff alike. Cheerful decorations can boost mental well-being, foster social connections, and help create lasting memories. Celebrating the change of the seasons and holidays both large and small helps make each day feel special and brings new energy to common areas of the community.
Decorating was already a hallmark of life at Vintage Care when Diana joined our staff, but she wanted to do more. During her first year at Vintage Care, she launched a new tradition during the holiday season in which each vendor donates and decorates a tree.
“The first year we had five trees, then seven or eight, and now we’re up to 10,” she says. “The day we decorate trees is my favorite day of the entire year.” Everyone enjoys refreshments and sings carols as the vendors decorate.
“We have lots of resident involvement in these activities,” Diana says. “Both our Memory Care and Assisted Living residents participant.” Once all trees are decorated, the residents choose their favorite, and that vendor enjoys bragging rights throughout the new year.
Research indicates that recognizing holidays helps people feel more present while lifting mood and nurturing a sense of belonging and shared purpose. Another benefit is providing opportunities to exercise creativity. Diana is crafty, as are many staff members and residents, and engaging in arts and crafts projects are another staple of life at Vintage Care.
One fun new development happening at Vintage Care soon is the arrival of an outside grill. “Many residents mentioned they wanted Dining Services to be able to offer a great steak, so we decided to order a new grill. I think the residents are going to love it.”
Diana and her team like to buy local whenever possible, and they have relationships with many local vendors, including James Ranch. “They provide fresh, amazing farm-raised beef, and the family has donated so generously to our community,” she says.
Vintage Care Staff Provides Enriching Activities Every Day
When asked about the best part of her job, Diana says, “I love to make happy memories with our residents.” From train rides to parties for different occasions to a senior (citizen) prom, Vintage Care is committed to providing meaningful activities every day.
“The larger community really showed up for us when we held our senior prom,” Diana says. “We had more prom dresses donated than we needed. Our vendors did hair and make-up, and we provided a full day of fun activities for our residents.”
Diana cherishes getting to know each new resident and their family. “I love meeting new people,” she says. “Every resident has something to offer, and it’s wonderful that there’s always someone new and awesome to meet.”
She adds, “I think people worry they will be giving up their independence if they move into Assisted Living, but Vintage Care residents can be totally independent. And, they and their family get relief from household chores and gain lots of peace of mind.”
Diana’s Life Outside of Work
In addition to the many responsibilities of her career, Diana stays busy in her free time. Her family includes her husband Jason, her two teenage step kids, and her 13-year-old daughter.
The family also has a furry child, an American Bully named Tyson that is well known at Vintage Care. “I have so many photos of him with residents,” she says. When he was a puppy, Diana brought Tyson to work, and residents and staff alike enjoyed watching him grow.
Her family’s love of animals goes way beyond dogs. Each year they swim with dolphins, and they recently visited The Capybara Café in St. Augustine and had a blast hanging out with these huge, gentle rodents. Planned excursions include visiting a farm that’s home to a herd of docile and shaggy Highland cows.
Diana’s entire family also loves music, and they attend concerts regularly. They live on a lake and spend a lot of time on the water.
