Her Story
About Kristina
Kristina Nation is the Owner and Provider of Everyday Grace Adult Family Home, LLC, overseeing three adult family homes in Des Moines, Washington. With a career rooted in social work and behavioral support, she transitioned into adult family home ownership after visiting and working with numerous care homes and recognizing opportunities to elevate the quality and consistency of care. Over the past three years, Kristina has built Everyday Grace around a philosophy of compassionate, personalized care, dignity, respect, and meaningful connection. She holds a BSW in Social Work and maintains certifications in mental health, dementia care, traumatic brain injury (TBI), life coaching, and business marketing, in addition to her CNA license.
Kristina’s leadership extends beyond providing exceptional daily care. As a member of the Adult Family Home Council, she remains committed to strengthening the industry and advocating for residents, families, caregivers, and providers. At Everyday Grace, she emphasizes community engagement through outings, activities, celebrations, and opportunities for residents to build relationships and create meaningful memories. She also prioritizes strong connections with families, believing that quality care extends beyond meeting physical needs to providing loved ones with confidence, trust, and peace of mind. Kristina attributes her success to her dedicated team and remains grounded in her “why,” ensuring that the purpose behind her work continues to guide her decisions and leadership.
In addition to her work in senior and adult care, Kristina is a parent coach, author, and speaker with a longstanding passion for supporting families. She coauthored The Power of Everyday Grace: Parenting Teens with Depression with her daughter and has contributed chapters to anthologies including Against All Odds with Lisa Nichols, The Perfectly Imperfect Family, and The Parenting Owner’s Manual. Her personal and professional values are centered on compassion and family, which shape the way she leads her team, supports residents, and partners with their loved ones. Through Everyday Grace and her broader work, Kristina is committed to creating stable, caring environments where people feel valued, supported, and truly at home.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kristina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having an exceptional team that leads with compassion, reliability, and a genuine commitment to caring for patients. Together, we strive to provide outstanding care, support families with empathy and professionalism, and create a sense of trust and peace of mind during every step of the patient journey.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to always keep my focus on the residents and remain committed to providing them with the highest quality of care. I’ve learned to stay connected to my “why” the reason I chose this profession in the first place—and never lose sight of the purpose behind the work I do. Keeping residents at the heart of every decision helps me lead with compassion, stay motivated, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those I serve.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best advice I would give to young women entering my industry is to learn as much as possible from those around you and seek out a great mentor who can provide guidance and support. Take your career one step at a time, give yourself time to grow, and avoid becoming overwhelmed by trying to accomplish everything at once. Building knowledge, relationships, and confidence along the way will create a strong foundation for long-term success.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is continuously striving to provide the highest quality of care while recognizing that residents may experience frustration or dissatisfaction as a result of their health conditions. This reinforces the importance of approaching every resident with patience, compassion, and understanding while remaining committed to delivering exceptional care and creating the best possible experience for them and their families.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in both my work and personal life are compassion and family. I believe compassion is essential, especially when working with residents whose behaviors may be influenced by their health conditions, and I strive not to take those moments personally. I consider my family, my team, my patients, and their extended families all part of one larger family. Above all, I want the families I serve to have peace of mind and confidence in knowing that their loved one is receiving compassionate, respectful, and exceptional care.
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