Betty Hedrick has spent 22 years building joy into other people’s lives, and at Fairmont Senior Living Westlake, that work has found its home.
Betty serves as Activities Manager, and alongside her is Activities Assistant Sadie Walther, a Westlake-area local of 24 years who has spent the last three and a half of them showing up for our residents with energy, laughter, and care. Together, they form a life enrichment team that treats every activity as a chance for residents to lead, participate, and feel at home in their community. If you want to see their work in action, the amenities and programming at Fairmont Senior Living of Westlake reflect the kind of environment Betty and Sadie have helped build.
A Career Built on Connection
Betty’s path to senior living started at 19, when she earned her STNA certification and went directly into care. Her motivation was personal. A close relationship with her Great Grandfather gave her an early, firsthand understanding of how much it matters to truly show up for an older adult. Over the years, she completed a specialized activities coordinator training program and found her professional home in life enrichment, a role that draws on both her creativity and her natural ability to connect with people.
When asked what she loves most about her work, Betty’s answer is immediate: the happiness she brings to her residents. Her best friend would describe her in one word. Joyful. Spend five minutes with Betty, and it makes complete sense.
Sadie brings a different kind of energy to the team. She loves one-on-one moments, finding the laugh in an ordinary Tuesday afternoon, and making sure every resident she works with feels seen. Ask her best friend to sum her up, and the word is uplifting. Ask our residents, and you will hear the same.
A Calendar Built With Residents, Not Just For Them
At Fairmont Senior Living Westlake, the activity calendar is not handed down to residents. It is built with them. Betty runs a Calendar Building Club where residents have a direct hand in shaping their own programming. Some residents take it further and lead activities themselves, based on their own interests and skills.
Sadie’s approach runs parallel. Before planning anything, she asks residents directly what they are interested in. That question drives everything that follows.
This is the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® approach to supporting independence at Fairmont Senior Living Westlake in everyday action. Residents help set up activities, run them, and break them down when they are finished. When our residents have real ownership of what happens in their community, the engagement reflects it.
