Our Story

Moses “Morris” Tischler immigrates to America from Germany

Kisja “Katie” Rapkin immigrates to America from Latvia

Morris and Katie marry in New Jersey

Richard Tischler is born

Morris and Katie give birth to their first son, Richard Tischler, in the back of a store in Newark, New Jersey.

Richard’s childhood

Richard grows up poor in a railroad flat of the Harlem slums, living a childhood of responsibilities but always prioritizing education. His parents lack motivation and don’t take an interest in him, which is why his life would later be driven by his love for family.

High school

After teaching himself to read under the flat’s one communal skylight, Richard takes rapid classes and graduates high school at just 14 years old. He has no social life, later remarking: “It was terrible going to school that young when all the kids were 18, but I had no choice. My brother was sick and I was in a hurry to better our lives.”

Richard pursues higher education

Unable to afford Harvard, where he’s accepted, Richard attends the City College of New York at night, while working for pennies during the day. He graduates college during the Great Depression at 18 years old. Despite being the first in his family to receive a higher education, his parents’ reaction is indifference.

Richard pursues an accounting degree

Richard continues school at night, pursuing his accounting degree. He finishes in under two years but is too young to receive his certificate.

Richard joins the Army

Richard uses his accounting skills to bookkeep for the Army during WWII. This takes him to Detroit, Michigan.

Richard meets Ruth

Richard meets a young Ruth Hoffman on the steps of their temple. He loves her immediately and adores her family, which is better to him than his own. He’s close with her sisters, who later die from Alzheimer’s.

Richard and Ruth marry

Less than four months later, Richard and Ruth marry. Richard opens an accounting practice and they settle in Michigan for the next 65 years.

Jean Tischler is born

Nancy Tischler is born

Born just three years apart, Ruth and Richard love their daughters, who are the center of their universe. Richard and Ruth explain: “We’re not going to be around forever. You need to make your sister your best friend.” That was the beginning of “Jean and Nancy,” and they have been inseparable ever since.

Prioritizing work and family

Rarely home when the girls are young, Richard works day and night building his practice — yet he always finds a way to make it home for family dinner before returning to the office. Work and family are his priorities, and he represents some of the most successful businessmen in Detroit.

The family business begins

Never satisfied as an accountant, Richard starts his second career as a middle-aged man after seeing Medicare on the horizon. Using everything he can scrape together, he and a former client do a handshake deal and open Arizona’s largest nursing home: Devon Gables Health Care Center, a 312-bed facility. He works tirelessly to make it a success.

Tough times again for Richard

But shortly after building Devon Gables, Medicare rules change and the Tischlers are on the verge of bankruptcy. Ruth is scared, but with “Dick” by her side, she knows he’ll protect her and they’ll find a way to survive. Richard’s upbringing, depression-era mentality and focus on family help him save Devon Gables. The first nursing home would remain in the family for the next 50 years. He eventually buys out his partner.

Richard takes another calculated risk

Richard, balancing Devon Gables and his accounting practice, must make a decision. With Ruth’s support, he goes all-in on the nursing home business.

Jean Tischler marries Howard Dubin

Nancy Tischler marries Mitch Kantor

Howard Dubin and Mitch Kantor become an important part of the family story. No longer just “the girls,” it is now “the girls… and the boys.”

Desert Manor Convalescent Center

Richard’s business strategy is to use one business to build the next. With Devon Gables finally stabilizing, Richard finds another nursing home in Yuma, Arizona — Desert Manor Convalescent Center — and adds 145 beds to the growing business.

Royale Health Care Center

Richard’s next acquisition is Royale Health Care Center, a 255-bed facility. This marks not only his expansion of the nursing home business into Santa Ana, California, but also diversification into the Mental Health and Psychiatric business. He develops programs that include Sub-Acute Care, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care, and a Special Treatment Program for indigent mental health patients of Orange County.

The second generation, Mitch Kantor, joins the business

Richard later remarks this is one of the crowing achievements of his life — not only because Mitch would help him grow the business, but also because it marks the beginning of a true family business; a dream he never imagined decades earlier. Richard’s plan is to send Mitch out west. Ruth says, “No way they are moving that far. Figure out a way they can live in Michigan.” Richard knows the business will grow faster, but it’s a cheap price to keep the family together. Richard and Mitch, working together in the same office, pave the way for Bloom 30 years later.

First grandchild Bradley Dubin is born

While the business is growing, so is the family. The Tischlers instill the importance of tradition, value, modesty, hard work, education and family in the lives of their 5 grandchildren.

Second grandchild Lizzie Dubin is born

Third grandchild Scott Kantor is born

Fourth grandchild Tony Kantor is born

Penn Mar Therapeutic Center

Richard and Mitch add Penn Mar Therapeutic Center, a 45-bed facility in El Monte, California, to the portfolio. This expands the Mental Health business and treats indigent patients of Los Angeles County.

Fifth grandchild Lisa Kantor is born

Royale Mission Viejo

Richard and Mitch add Royale Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo, California, an 80-bed facility, to the portfolio. This expands the Skilled Nursing and Mental Health businesses.

The chance to go public

Richard and Mitch turn down an opportunity to take the business public, wanting it to remain a family business. They stress the importance of doing it their own way, making their own mistakes and running a business guided by their long-term vision and values.

Different legacy business model and structure, same values

While the decentralized “mom and pop” model of the legacy business is very different from today’s Bloom, the legacy business (like Bloom today) is driven by an incredible feeling of togetherness and care. The family then, like now, is guided by a depression-era philosophy of living frugally so whatever funds generated can be re-invested into the business; running the business with little debt and without partners or investors; and making decisions guided by a long-term vision of what’s best for the company, residents and associates.

Richard’s and Mitch’s extended family are their associates

Richard and Mitch treat their hard-working associates like family, and most of their team is with them for decades. In fact, when their first Administrator retires, her daughter — who grew up in the building and worked in every department — takes over.

First nursing home is sold

The family sells its first nursing home in Yuma, Arizona, and begins thinking about the next challenge: a more progressive health care model.

Ruth is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Around that time, Ruth’s health starts to decline. Finding care for Ruth should have been easy considering their business, but the family can’t find the right fit and want her to have the very best.

Back in time with Ruth

Age-related dementia can take a person far from the present, and when Ruth would sit and drift into her faraway place, the family would travel with her to reminisce about the life she and her husband Dick built. That’s when she’d almost always ask, “Do you suppose there’ll be pie after dinner tonight?” …and then they’d welcome her back to today.

Brainstorming Bloom

Inspired by this personal mission and building upon the family’s values and experience, they see an opportunity to shift the family’s focus from Skilled Nursing and Mental Health to Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care; the same Lifestyle Options Ruth required. They also realize a chance to incorporate a more modern, lifestyle approach into senior living communities – making them feel more like home while providing an environment where residents can continue to learn, grow and discover.

Bloom Senior Living is formed by the third generation

With Richard’s support, the third generation gives up careers in banking, law and real estate to take a risk, just as Richard and Mitch did years earlier. Richard asks his grandchildren for one promise: that the same beliefs that guided his long career and the values he instilled in them when they were young continue to drive the business, while always keeping Ruth’s experience in mind. When later asked what it meant to have his grandchildren join the business, Richard said: “You have no idea. I’m full of joy. It’s the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”

The Great Recession

Bloom is formed during the largest downturn since the Great Depression. Having lived through that era and preparing for it again ever since, Richard is in a unique position to encourage his grandchildren to seize an opportunity during an uncertain time in American history and create a new company that will make he and Ruth proud.

Bloom at Belfair

Brad and Scott head to Bluffton, South Carolina, in search of new property. They find a gem in a foreclosure, an 81-unit Independent Living community and an adjacent vacant shell that can be transformed into the perfect Memory Care setting they hoped to find for Ruth.

Bloom at Lakewood

Bloom expands into Assisted Living and closes on its second property, a 91-unit community in Lakewood, Ohio. Like Belfair, this is an opportunity to transform an existing asset into an environment Nana Ruth would be proud to call home.

Bloom at German Church and Bloom at Eagle Creek

Bloom expands into Indianapolis, Indiana, with 111 new Assisted Living units. Using the same acquisition strategy that worked for Richard, within eight months Bloom is almost the size of the legacy business.

The hype

The story of Bloom — driven by the grandchildren’s mission on behalf of their sick grandmother and with the support of their grandfather — quickly receives local and national attention. The younger generation’s progressive vision, combined with their adoption of the older generation’s conservatism and ideals, resonates with people around the country.

The Tischler’s first great-grandchild is born and taken to visit Ruth

The Tischler’s first great-grandchild is born and taken to visit Ruth. Holding the newborn baby sparks nurturing memories of Ruth’s past, which is useful insight in building Bloom’s Memory Care program.

Memory Care is built for Ruth

The family puts the final touches on Bloom’s first Memory Care program at Belfair, a Town Square design representing Main Street America that’s reminiscent of the 1940s. Ruth’s illness drives them to develop this unique concept, which helps others by taking them back to the “good ol” days, as she so loved to do. Because of its success and after an expansion from 23 to 68 beds, it becomes the largest program in the state.

Ruth’s death

Our beloved Ruth loses her long battle with Alzheimer’s disease at 89 years old.

The Bloom growth plan

Bloom begins a multi-year, multi-step and multi-million-dollar plan focused on building industry-leading branding, culture, education and customer-service. The Bloom team draws inspiration from both its own healthcare experience and innovative companies outside the sector (like Walt Disney, Zappos and Virgin) to create a differentiated, culturally-driven and mission-based company. The goal is to (1) develop a scalable and centralized operating infrastructure, unlike the legacy business, that paves the way for the company’s growth and professional development for associates, while (2) ensuring the heart and soul of Bloom, like the legacy business, remains driven by all things family.

The Bloom rebrand and mission

The team completes a rebranding exercise to establish what makes Bloom unlike other senior living providers. This results in a new tagline: Discover your best self, and a formalized mission that is simple yet aspirational: to help our residents flourish.

Bloom’s mission is centered around its residents and associates

The company focuses its mission to ensure that Bloom associates, just as Bloom’s senior residents, continue living full lives and bloom into their best selves through learning, growth and discovery.

Bloom Beliefs are established

The team collectively defines the qualities and guiding principles they treasure, live by and protect at all costs.

Bloom at Bluffton and Bloom at Hilton Head

Bloom expands in South Carolina by adding 117 units and two new Memory Care programs in the Bluffton and Hilton Head region, as well as an Assisted Living option, so they can provide a full continuum of care solutions.

Bloom at Bossier

Bloom expands into Louisiana with 119 units, once again filling to capacity. The family sees another opportunity to create a continuum of care and convert a portion of the Independent Living community to Assisted Living.

Richard turns 100 years old

Richard turns 100, and with the whole family there to celebrate, he starts off with some of his favorite quotes.

– “Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” —Mark Twain

He ends the evening with his most famous quote to his family: “I want you to know how much I love you. You’ve given meaning to my life that I had no right to expect.” That’s the kind of man he was.

Richard’s death

Richard passes away at 101 years of age. In the days before his death, Richard was in the office five days a week, like he had always been. While people remember him as a successful business man, his drive was never based on money or ego. Rather, it was all about the selfless love for his family and his business, which was the basis for every decision he made and the motivation for every hour he worked. The greater the odds against success, the harder a man with a dream will strive and take calculated risks to achieve that dream. For Richard, being able to continue working, plus working with his family, meant living life to its fullest. Working together as a family the last few years of Richard’s life was a dream for Richard and a godsend for his grandkids. Richard’s passion and love for his family, along with his many accomplishments, are honored in every decision Bloom makes.

Bloom at St. Petersburg

Bloom expands into Florida by adding 96 units of Assisted Living and Memory Care. The family sees yet another opportunity to improve operations and help residents and associates bloom and discover their best selves.

Bloom U

After years in development, Bloom U is launched to invest in Bloom associates by providing education and professional development — something Richard deeply believed in. Bloom U is a university with curriculum comprised of e-based and classroom courses, interactive training, videos, workshops, seminars, role-playing and shadowing, which provides Bloom associates with the tools to be successful in performing their duties and advancing their career, while delivering Bloom’s brand promise. Bloom U tells the family story from Richard’s humble beginnings through its evolution; explains the company mission, culture, brand and Bloom Beliefs; and shows associates why Bloom does what it does, day in and day out. Bloom U is available to all associates 24/7, and associates are certified after graduating.

Bloom at Kokomo

Bloom expands in Indiana by adding 78 units of Assisted Living and Memory Care. The family not only sees yet another opportunity to improve operations and help residents and associates bloom and discover their best selves, but to add Memory Care in the state of Indiana to complement its other two communities.

Remaining nursing homes sold to focus on senior housing

The family sells its remaining legacy nursing homes and behavioral hospitals, Royale Health Care Center, Royale Mission Viejo and Penn Mar Therapeutic Center, after building that business for nearly 60-years. While the transaction was bittersweet, the strategic decision was made so the family could continue pursuing its next mission in seniors housing and growing Bloom with the values of the legacy business in mind.

Bloom at Willow and Bloom at Kessler

Bloom expands in Indiana by adding 121 units of Assisted Living and Memory Care. The family not only sees yet another opportunity to improve operations and help Indiana residents and associates bloom, but to add Memory Care in Indianapolis and complement its other three Indianapolis and Kokomo communities.