When Arnold Goldberg's grandmother answered a knock at her door on a cold winter night in 1918, little did she know it would lead her to pioneer the nursing home industry in Chicago. And a family legacy that has continued for three generations.

Pearl Goldberg had escaped the Bolsheviks of Russia and immigrated to Chicago, along with her husband and six children. As more émigrés came to the United States, many found their way to Pearl who had a deep sense of responsibility for those less fortunate.

After her husband became ill and was unable to work, Pearl became the breadwinner of the family and eventually converted a two-flat into a home for 14 elderly people. She prepared all the meals; did all the housekeeping; found doctors to make house calls; ran to the drugstore for medicine; and gave residents chicken soup as added insurance that they would get better.

As her reputation grew, Pearl, along with her son Isadore and other family members, added to her staff and founded larger and more specialized skilled nursing facilities. Later, Isadore's son, Arnie, passed the nursing home administrator's test at age 18, making him one of the youngest qualified administrators in the United States.

Years later, it would be Arnie Goldberg's vision and energy that would result in the ground-breaking creation of The Wealshire in Lincolnshire, Illinois. The Wealshire would become the crown jewel of the Goldberg family accomplishments. It would also become renowned the world over for its comprehensive and innovative approach to skilled nursing for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Mr. Goldberg was painfully aware that those suffering from the disease were being placed in facilities that did not provide the special care and attention that this disease requires.

Arnie Goldberg commissioned interviews with hundreds of Alzheimer's families to better understand their experiences and frustrations. He called upon the expertise of doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, architects and other providers of Alzheimer care to create an innovative environmental design specific to the needs of Alzheimer's residents.

The Wealshire was built in 1995 as the nation's largest free-standing community designed specifically for the needs of Alzheimer's patients. It was an instant success. This unique community with 285 luxury units has since been expanded to provide assisted living for residents with early and mild dementia; a special care program for Parkinson's Disease; and comprehensive programs for Medicare qualified rehabilitation.

Mr. Goldberg received a Masters in Business Administration from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois. He is President and owner of The Wealshire and Alexander Blake & Company, a provider of management services to Sheltered Care and Skilled Care nursing facilities.

He and his wife are long-time residents of the Chicago area where they continue to reside with their five sons.