Betty Wadsworth has been working for SALMON Health and Retirement for more than 40 years — longer than any other person currently on our staff.
Q: What brought you to work for the Salmon family in the first place?
A: I started volunteering back when I was 14 or 15 years old at Beaumont in Northbridge. I found that I really loved older people, and got a big kick out of spending time with them. They made me want to come back for more.
Q: You have worn many “hats” over the years at our company. What different jobs have you had at Beaumont?
A: I started in the kitchen, washing dishes. Then I moved into serving meals and doing some light cooking during my high school years. At that time Beaumont was very small, with only about 20 Residents. I learned how to be a nurse’s aide when Danny Salmon asked me to help out one day. I worked as an aide for many years after that, which I really loved.
After I was married and became pregnant, I worked in the recreation department. I worked part-time as an aide while my children were young, and returned to full-time work, Monday through Friday on the 3 to11 p.m. shift once they were older.
Training was less formal then than it is now for CNAs. Beaumont was growing rapidly at that point. I was a bather for a while, then I started training all the new nurse’s aides. (In fact, two of them I trained back then are still on the Beaumont at Northbridge staff today!)
I went on to medical recordkeeping and ordering medical supplies. Along with that, I’d help the admissions coordinator part-time. When she retired, I took on that job full-time and still have it now.
Q: Describe what a typical day is like for you.
A: I start by checking on what beds we have available, then take calls from our liaisons and hospitals about new people coming into Beaumont; fill out discharge sheets; gather insurance information; do data entry and paperwork; and talk with families. The change from manual to computerized records and communication that has occurred during the time I’ve been at Beaumont has made the job easier and faster.
Q: What has changed for you since working here?
A: I used to be very shy, and was always afraid of making mistakes. I’ve really “come out of my shell” and gained confidence at Beaumont.
Q: What are your challenges and sources of satisfaction on the job?
A: It bothers me that I can’t accommodate someone wanting our Beaumont location when we have no room. On the other hand, when I give family members of potential Residents “shopping” for a place a tour and they choose Beaumont immediately, that’s very gratifying.
Q: What’s the best thing about working here?
A: I’ve loved my different jobs all these years, and I enjoy the great people I work with — as well as the great people I work for. And, as long as I can do my job well, I’m going to be here doing it.
