In the News

  The media keep their eyes on The Salmon Family of Services--the diversity of our activities, talents of our staff and fascinating backgrounds of our residents make for news articles on a regular basis. The articles below start with the most recent ones to appear.

Unveiling SALMON Health and Retirement

Westborough, MA September 20, 2007_ Founded in 1952 with a single nursing home in Northborough, The Salmon Family of Services has grown over the decades to become an umbrella under which Beaumont, Whitney Place, Adult Day Health, The Willows and The Child Care Centers are better known. The family owned and operated business, with locations in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Westborough and Worcester, is announcing a new name and logo, ‘SALMON Health and Retirement.’ 

All divisions have new logos that closely resemble each other and the parent company’s new design, and incorporate ‘SALMON’ as part of their identity. 

Third generation Salmon family members Kate Salmon-Robinson, vice president of marketing communications and community relations, Matt Salmon, vice president of programs, quality and innovation, and Andrew Salmon, executive director of the Northbridge campus, wanted the new names and evolving logos to emphasize the company’s breadth and depth. 

“We’re fortunate to have a strong heritage in the senior health and housing market, and a growing recognition for child care, made possible through the hard work of our parents, Danny and Dottie Salmon, other family members and our dedicated team of employees through the years,” says Salmon-Robinson. “‘SALMON Health and Retirement’ strengthens the positive connection between the Salmon family name and the companies people have come to trust.”

Company founder Helen Salmon, grandmother to Kate, Matt and Andrew and a resident of The Willows at Westborough, approves of the change. “The name ‘SALMON Health and Retirement’ honors our family’s traditions and values, and makes what we do very clear: we provide people with the service and solutions they need for a good life.” 

Through The Willows Retirement Communities, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Westborough and Worcester, SALMON Health and Retirement, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve. To learn more, call Toll-Free in Massachusetts 1-800-446-8060, or visit www.SalmonHealthandRetirement.com.

 

20th Annual Free Summer Concert Series at The Willows

Area charities to benefit from popular public performances

Westborough, MA June 1, 2007_The Willows at Westborough, Central Massachusetts’ premier community for active adults, begins its popular Summer Concert Series for 2007 on June 13.   

The weekly concerts, now in their 20th consecutive year, are sponsored by the Salmon Family of Services and are held in the Willows Rose Garden Courtyard at the corner of Route 30 and Lyman Street. Parking is available across the street at the Hastings School parking lot.
 
All concerts are free and open to the general public. They will begin at 7:15 P.M. sharp, rain or shine, and feature lively music performances by some of the area’s best known and loved music groups. The 2007 Concert Series starts on Wednesday, June 13, and continues each Wednesday for eight weeks from June 13 through August 8th, with a break for the July 4th holiday.

The concert schedule includes:
Interborough Community Band -- June 13
Squirrel Hill Olde Tyme Band -- June 20
The Tom Nutile Band -- June 27
(Happy Holiday – No concert July 4th)
Wolverine Jazz Band -- July 11
Westwood Swing Band -- July 18
The Yankee Brass Band -- July 25  
Ben Rudnick & Friends -- August 1
Fantasy Big Band -- August 8

Refreshments will be available and donations will be accepted for the following area non-profit organizations: Assabet Valley Pastoral Counseling Center; Siloam Masonic Lodge Angel Fund; Westborough Community Chorus; Westborough Cultural Council; Westborough Food Pantry; Westborough Historical Society; Westborough Land Trust; and the Westborough Music Parents Association.

Through The Willows at Westborough Retirement Community, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough, The Salmon Family of Services, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve. To learn more, call Toll-Free in Massachusetts 1-800-446-8060, or visit www.SalmonFamily.com.

Matthew Salmon named new board chair

Whitinsville, MA, April 15, 2007_ Matthew Salmon was named the 2007-2008 chairman of the Whitin Community Center Board of Trustees at their annual meeting held February 26. Mr. Salmon, vice president of programs, quality and innovation for The Salmon Family of Services, has been active with the organization for years, and previously served as vice chairman of the board.
   Charles Thompson, executive director of the Whitin Community Center, said, “We are very excited to have Matt serve as our chairman. He will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the center.”
   Also formally elected at the annual meeting were the 2007-2008 slate of officers and incoming trustees and corporators. The new officers, in addition to Mr. Salmon, are Susan VanderZicht, vice chairman, owner of VanderZicht Real Estate; Sharon Morrow, clerk, senior commercial lines underwriter for Harleysville Insurance Company; and Gary Sacon, treasurer, chief financial officer for The Salmon Family of Services.
   The Board of Trustees consists of Norman Gadoury of Wallcoverings Unlimited; Martin Green of Eastwood Group Real Estate; Jerome Jussaume of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester; Rob Knapik, attorney; Denis LaTour of Town and Country Builders; Gary Moyer, architect; Kenneth Reading, Jr. of Unibank; Dennis Rice of Alternatives; William Smith of WB Smith Companies; Catherine Stark, dental hygienist; and William Stark of Express Personnel Services, Inc.
   The Corporators are Spaulding Aldrich, Jeffrey Bajema, Patricia Baker, Peter Bedigian, John Berkowicz, Dale Bloem, Maureen Briand, James Buma, Douglas Carr, Jr., Walter Convent, Bernadette Coughlin, Daniel Cronin, Tom Crothers, Sidney De Young, Mark Der-Mugrditchian, Warren Fairbanks, Lee Gaudette, Michael Gauthier, Denise Haagsma, Richard Hubbard, Jason Johnson, Joanne Khoury, James Knott, Jr., James Knott, Sr., Jayne Knott, Dirk Koopman.
   Claire LaChapelle, Alan Malkasian, Priscilla Mason, Daniel Mioduszewski, Charles Morse, Matthew Myette, John O’Brien, Vincent Osterman, Howard Perkson, David Plantinga, Caroline Ramian, Alan Ratcliffe, James Rice, Michael Robertson, Kate Robinson, Daniel Salmon, Jr., Pamela Siderewicz, Jeffrey Smith, Susan Spencer, Reverend Bob Stone, Susan Thompson, Michael Tonry, Joan Tosti, John Walker, Jr., Andrea White, Tom Wickstrom, Gary Wood and Edward Zywien.
   More information about the Whitin Community Center is available at www.OurGym.org.

Salmon family to build The Willows at Worcester

Westborough, MA, March 7, 2007_The Willows at Worcester, to be built by The Salmon Family of Services, has received that city’s approvals to expand and modernize the Our Lady of Mercy Health Care Center site located in the Salisbury Street area, creating a community for active adults over 62.
   The project at 101 Barry Road will include construction of 40 new town homes and cottages with attached garages and 151 luxury apartment homes housed in a main building with underground parking, an indoor swimming pool, elegant dining, a café, and other amenities. Renovations similar to assisted living will be made to the existing 28-bed level IV rest home, resulting in a modern continuing care retirement community (CCRC) on the property.
   Two-bedroom town homes and cottages will range from 1,650 to 1,750 square feet with refundable entry fees from $350,000 to $400,000. Apartment homes, from 700 to 1,250 square feet will be $180,000 to $325,000. All home arrangements will feature single-level living.
   Financing has been arranged through Health Care REIT and construction is scheduled to commence this April.
   The Salmon Family of Services, based in Westborough, has been providing senior living and healthcare in central Massachusetts for 55 years. Their first active adult retirement community, The Willows at Westborough, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
   Through The Willows at Westborough Retirement Community, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough, The Salmon Family of Services, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve. To learn more, call Toll-Free in Massachusetts 1-800-446-8060, or visit www.SalmonFamily.com.

The Heart of the Matter

February 1, 2007_February is upon us, and with it comes Valentine’s Day--that seemingly sentimental holiday cynical folks roll their eyes about, or designate for young lovers only. But let’s not dismiss it so quickly.
   One of the benefits of age is that we truly have the long view when we’re older, and, when all is said and done, it’s giving and receiving love that proves to be the most valuable part of life. Love between partners. Love between parents and children. Love between patient and care giver. Love between friends. Love between pet and master. And it’s all good.
   Our bodies develop problems that need to be addressed, people come into and out of our lives, and our circumstances change over time. It’s easy to feel vulnerable and apprehensive when we need to rely on others for help. But just as our hearts keep beating, those hearts keep benefiting from doses of love we receive from all sources--sometimes unexpectedly--lifting us from despair, filling us with delight and smoothing out the rough spots we face.
   Who is better able to appreciate the positive impact of love than those who have lived a long life? To quote seventy-nine-year-old French actress Jeanne Moreau: “Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.”
   The Salmon family’s senior living and healthcare communities are the culmination of more than five decades of tradition and innovation. To learn more, call Toll-Free in Massachusetts 1-800-446-8060 or 1-508-366-3662, or visit www.SalmonFamily.com.
 

Home for the Holidays: Bittersweet

Exploring options for and with our aging parents

Westborough, MA, December 22, 2006_The end of the year brings with it happy anticipation as many of us look forward to being together with family members again. Our travel plans occupy our minds, and visions of lavish meals, the happy sounds of excited children and plenty of laughter and talk fill us with good feelings. Then we arrive.
   Coming home to see our aging parents often becomes a wake-up call: being with them in person can reveal lapses in their short-term memory, difficulties in managing housekeeping, or other problems unnoticed in telephone conversation. Take this touchy subject, mix it with the desire for a fun-filled visit, add a sibling or two in denial of the situation, and you have a recipe for disaster—a holiday spoiled by quarreling or made tense by pretending all is well. 
   It’s a difficult situation for everyone to face, and one that needs to be approached with sensitivity. Signs are usually present over time, though often denied from both sides, that our parents need some assistance. Guilt and blame can surface. Coming to terms with parents’ changing needs requires everyone to be on their best behavior: adult children need to keep from being condescending, parents need to set aside some of their assumptions. And everyone needs to be open-minded.
   The easiest approach to this subject is to do some homework prior to your visit. If you haven’t done so, it’s certainly possible to educate yourself and them while you’re visiting. Unless you meet total resistance, you may be able to involve your parents in the exploration of options available in their area. You can start by asking family friends and neighbors to suggest services they trust, or use the Internet. 
   What you discover may surprise and relieve everyone. There are all levels of help out there, the costs can be very manageable and maintaining the most independence possible is the goal of most programs and arrangements.
■ Home health care aides and homemakers can assist in the home with daily chores, transportation to appointments, running errands and providing companionship. (www.mass-homehealth.org)
■ Visiting nurses can administer medications and monitor recovery from surgery or chronic health problems. (www.vnacarenetwork.org)
   Temporary stays for recuperation and permanent changes to different living situations both require taking tours to determine quality; it’s crucial to observe that the staff and the residents both seem happy. Moving out of what’s been ‘home’ may seem unthinkable at the start, but visiting a number of retirement communities or assisted living residences and finding the right ‘fit’ can result in real enthusiasm.
■ Rehabilitation and skilled nursing centers provide the opportunity for recovery from accidents, injuries or surgeries, in many cases allowing people to return to their own homes. (www.mecf.org, www.aurumnetwork.com)
■ Retirement communities provide independent living without the physical strain of caring for a home that comes with house cleaning, raking leaves, shoveling snow, or home repair. If driving is becoming difficult, retirement communities also provide transportation for shopping, doctor appointments and special events. (www.elderchoice.com)
■ Assisted living residences provide private apartment living for individuals or couples, connected to common areas and dining facilities, and the security of emergency access for health and safety concerns. They also offer the convenience of transportation and social events. (www.massalfa.org)
   Specialized programs exist to address people suffering from memory loss.
    “We appreciate each person’s unique history and lifelong role, both of which play a strong part in personalizing a care plan based on their individual needs,” says Lois Pecora, director of The Tapestry Program for The Salmon Family of Services.
■ Care for those with memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease can be addressed by both day programs and residential ones. (www.alzmass.org, www.salmonfamily.com/red/adult_about.asp, www.salmonfamily.com/red/whitney_tapestry.asp)
   “People have preconceived notions about what nursing homes are like,” says Andrew Salmon, administrator of the Salmon family’s Northbridge campus. “There are excellent ones out there. It’s important to shop around to find the one that feels right.”
■ The nursing homes of today are undergoing change toward becoming more driven by the needs of the individual, and therefore are becoming more personal in the care they provide. (www.mass.gov/dph/qtool/sptweb2.htm)
   Among all these choices there’s likely to be one that suits your parents’ current requirements. Knowing that there are other options for future consideration as those needs change can be reassuring to you and them.
   Make the holidays a time of caring with an open and honest discussion with your parents and family about how to help all of you cope with their life changes in the most positive way. That will lead to those good meals, smiling kids and a Happy New Year for everybody. 
   Through The Willows at Westborough Retirement Community, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough, The Salmon Family of Services, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve. To learn more, call Toll-Free in Massachusetts 1-800-446-8060, or visit www.SalmonFamily.com.

 

Selling the house buys a better life

Westborough, MA, November 9, 2006_At 88, Audrey Wellington runs circles around many people her age. A two-year resident of The Willows at Westborough, a retirement community for active seniors, Wellington went though all the mental and physical trials of moving from her home of 41 years in Wayland.
    “In the last few months before we decided to sell our home, the upkeep of the lawns and gardens was just getting to be too much for my husband, and he was not satisfied with hiring the work out,” she said.
   The Wellingtons made the decision to downsize and found a condominium in Marlborough, on the Sudbury line.
    “It was really beautiful,” Wellington said. “The deer came right up to the deck. I loved it, as long as my husband was there.”
    “When he passed on it was so lonesome,” she said, adding that most of the people living at the condominium complex worked outside of the building. “I never saw them. I got locked out of my condo once in the winter and ended up having to walk a mile to get help.”
   That incident spurred Wellington to consider a different lifestyle, and she began looking at retirement communities.
   Transitioning from living in your own home to eventually living in an independent senior residence such as The Willows is a big decision to make, but one many seniors find is the right one, as it was for Wellington. 
   In 1987, The Willows opened its doors, offering those aged 60 and up the independence of luxury apartment living without the hassles of home maintenance, as well as a variety of services and amenities to allow couples and single people greater freedom than when they lived in a private house. Some of these amenities include chef-prepared, restaurant-style dining, an onsite health clinic, a bank branch, hair salon, spa, wood shop, general store and a host of recreation.
    “I visited six other retirement communities along with The Willows,” Wellington said. “I went to dinner two to three times at these places, but I always came back to The Willows. I took a long while to make up my mind . . . it had to be just right.”
    “It was the best decision of my life. I have such freedom here, it’s just a wonderful feeling,” she continued. “It’s great to have friends here who understand.”
   Wellington said it’s the services, as well as her beautiful apartment, that make her thrilled she came.
    “There’s cards to play, knitting groups, trips and so much more,” she said.
    “My son wanted me to come to The Willows even sooner. He saw it and said he’d move in tomorrow,” she said. “This move was good for him too, because now he doesn’t worry. It’s wonderful for your children because the staff do everything they can for you here.”
   Robert “Bob” Gatley, a retired teacher, moved to The Willows four years ago, selling his Westborough home that he had owned since 1951. The decision to sell and move to The Willows finally came after losing his wife and then spending the next couple of years living at home with his daughter.
    “I was getting tired of my house, doing painting and all the maintenance work,” Gatley said. “My daughter moved into a condo and I moved here. It was the right time.”
   The Willows was a place Gatley already knew—he worked there for many years before becoming a resident.
    “I drove the bus, did odd jobs and drove for trips,’’ he said. “Then I worked in the fitness center there for 10 years. Being a retired phys ed teacher made me a natural for helping seniors stay strong and active.”
   Gatley said he has “no regrets” on the move.
    “I have five kids who don’t have to worry about how I’m doing any more,” he added.
   As he approaches 90 this year, Gatley said the secret to his longevity is to “keep busy and keep moving.”
    “I’m involved with two to three committees here,” he said. “When I first came I was involved with even more.”
   One of The Willows’ newest residents, having moved in this past August, Fran Powers wanted to make this type of move while she was still in excellent health.
    “My closest relative is my nephew and he is in Chicago,” Powers said. “My husband had died four years ago; I was in a big house alone,” she said. “There was always something that needed to be done in the cellar, on the outside or in the garage. I had a huge garden and I became very tired of trying to keep the house up. It needed major repairs; there was just a series of worries.”
   After doing some “soul-searching,” Powers decided to sell her home and move to The Willows.
    “I had spent two years looking from Southborough to Worcester, up one side of Route 9 and down the other. I wanted to stay in the Westborough area. I looked at all kinds of apartments. Many didn’t seem safe to me,” she said. “Feeling secure meant a great deal.”
   After choosing The Willows, Powers joined The Willows’ Priority Club, waiting until the “perfect” apartment came along.
    “They gave me temporary accommodations for a month while I waited for the apartment to be remodeled,” she said. “Getting it ready took a few weeks--there are all new appliances and a brand new kitchen!”
   Powers said it was the staff, especially Sherry Morin, who helped with the transition to The Willows.
    “The team really works with you here. They take care of all the little things that can be hard for you to do on your own,” she added.
   These and other Willows residents report selling their homes felt at first like an ending, but discovered their lives opened up in new and positive ways. They consistently remark on the relief of having less responsibility, and with that, fewer worries.
   Sherry Morin, marketing director, is always excited when a resident moves into their newly-outfitted apartment.
    “People blossom when they set up house here. They’re starting a whole new chapter in their lives.”
   Helpful Hints: Finding the Place That’s Right
 Visit a community; stay for a meal, and ask to meet current residents without salespeople present to receive genuine answers to questions.
 A new home is much more than just an apartment; the community should feel ‘right,’ and the amenities offered should be appealing.
 Look for a community that can meet a wide variety of needs, as things change over time.

Through The Willows at Westborough Retirement Community, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough, The Salmon Family of Services, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve. To learn more, call Toll-Free in Massachusetts 1-800-446-8060, or visit www.SalmonFamily.com.

 

All in the Family, Salmon-Style

Westborough, MA, August 21, 2006_For the Salmons, family values aren’t just important; they’re everything. The third generation of Salmons is currently taking the reins of The Salmon Family of Services, which owns and operates four campuses offering a continuum of senior housing and healthcare in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough.
   Since 1952, when Helen and Daniel Salmon Sr. purchased a restaurant and converted it to a nursing home, caring for seniors has been a way of life for the Salmon family.
   Helen Goulden met her future husband Daniel “Dan” Salmon when they were both nurses-in-training at Worcester City Hospital School of Nursing.
    “I was involved in my first post-mortem on one of my patients and became pretty emotional, so Dan took me outside,” Helen said. “Next thing I know, he’s asking me for a date.”
   That date turned into many and, in 1942, the two married. It wasn’t long before Dan was called to military service and joined the Navy, getting stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.
   Being someone who sees the glass as half full, Helen made the best of things in Norfolk caring for their two young children when Dan was sent overseas, to Korea.
    “One day he called me from San Francisco (he had just been discharged) and told me to buy a car, get my license, go back to Massachusetts and find us a house,” Helen said. “So, I did. I bought our old car back from our neighbor, who gave me driving lessons.”
   Once in Massachusetts, using her trademark spunk and resourcefulness, Helen found an old farmhouse to rent in Sutton.
   “Dan was shocked when he first saw that old place,” Helen laughed, adding that it turned out to be a perfect place to raise children.
   The family moved to another farmhouse down the road and lived there for several years until Dan was called back to the service and they moved into Veterans Housing in South Grafton.
   After Dan was discharged, he worked as an RN “riding the ambulance” (there were no EMTs in those days). Helen isn’t sure how he came up with the idea of running a nursing home, but said Dan was always dreaming and turning over new ideas in his head. The Salmons looked around for something they could afford, eventually settling on the old Adora Restaurant on Rt. 20 in Northborough.
    “Even with all that needed fixing, the building inspector told us, ‘grab it if you can,’” Helen said. “So we took it and moved in on Thanksgiving Day. At the time we had five children, our youngest being only a month old.”
   Soon the Salmons began attracting patients to the nursing home and becoming a part of the community.
    “There was no outside help when we first started,” Helen said. “It was just us.”
   Then in 1960, Dan and Helen bought Beaumont Nursing Home in Northbridge and, as they had in Northborough, moved in. Twenty-eight residents lived there and the entire family pitched in with daily chores.
    “My grandfather was a real ‘people person’ and entrepreneur,” granddaughter and current Vice President of Marketing Kate Salmon-Robinson said.
   In 1961, after some soul-searching, Dan and Helen decided to sell Northborough Nursing Home to friends Eddie and Marion Thorton, who turned it into Thorton Nursing Home.
   Two years after that, Danny, their oldest child, graduated as an RN from Worcester City Hospital and his future wife, Dorothy “Dottie” McLaughlin, graduated as an RN from Leominster Hospital School of Nursing.
    “My parents, Danny and Dottie, got married in 1965 at the same time my grandparents, Helen and Dan, retired to Cape Cod,” said Kate. “Right after their honeymoon they moved into the basement apartment of the nursing home vacated by my grandparents.”
   Always thinking about how to improve things, according to Kate, her parents had some changes in mind for Beaumont.
    “At the time, the men and women lived on separate floors. They decided to mix things up a bit,’’ Kate said. “They laugh when they tell us how much livelier people became—it really brought a spark back into their lives.”
    “That was one symbolic effort—just one of many, many innovations of theirs. My parents were very good at what they did. They were ‘in tune’ with the needs of the residents and their families, and not afraid of change,” she chuckled, adding, “They actually embraced change.”
   After growing Northbridge, one addition at a time, Danny and Dottie were looking to expand beyond that location and north to Westborough.
    “During the planning and design phase for Beaumont Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center in Westborough, my parents also decided to develop the first private retirement community of its kind in New England—The Willows at Westborough became the flagship for our company—and a model for others to follow,” Kate stated.
   Helen, who lost husband Dan in 1978 to cancer, is currently a resident of The Willows at Westborough. Like most people, Helen had reservations about leaving her home. To her delight, this lifestyle is a welcome change. Leaving behind the worry and work involved in maintaining a single family house for the freedom of The Willows has Helen wishing she’d moved there ten years ago.
   The Willows at Westborough, which opened in 1987, is a retirement community that affords active seniors like Helen a broad range of activities and opportunities. The fully-staffed Personalized Exercise Program (PEP), trips to the symphony in Boston or Foothills Theater in Worcester, movies, crafts, bridge, cocktail hour socials, speakers, cruises and travel to Oregon this summer, Europe last summer (a trip Helen took) and Alaska the summer before, keep life exciting. For everyday needs, there is the convenience of an on-site hair salon, general store, dry cleaner, wellness clinic, bank and coffee shop.
   As Executive Director Benjamin Colonero sees it, the major challenge for the future of The Willows is anticipating the demands of the next generation who will be moving there.
    “Customers looking at 55-and-older communities and continuing care retirement communities want all the bells and whistles. They want the same things they’ve become accustomed to,” he said, noting that as an apartment becomes available, it is renovated to suit the new resident. Granite or natural stone countertops, crown molding, stainless steel appliances, and other popular luxury features are available.
   While The Willows became a benchmark for retirement communities, the Salmons realized there were other unmet needs within the senior healthcare system to be addressed.
    “My parents had a vision of The Willows but because of their experience, they knew that there was a missing link of sorts . . . something between independent living and skilled nursing,” Kate said. “No one had really ‘invented’ this type of residence.”
   The Salmons quickly created one of the nation’s first assisted living programs, Whitney Suites, as part of The Willows succession.
    “My parents saw a need and put themselves out there,” Kate said. “They had the courage and the daring to take risks and believe in their vision, then make it happen. They were true pioneers, always ahead of their time. They foresaw that intermediate level of service: additional needs that come with physical limitations, and the need to accommodate issues associated with memory loss, which propelled them into specialty care for Alzheimer’s disease.”
   In another innovative move, Danny and Dottie saw the Beaumont locations as ideal for the addition of rehabilitation and sub-acute care, specialties which prior to that time were only available in hospitals. Today Beaumont Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Centers serve as models of excellence in this growing field of complex medical and post-surgical care.
   While senior care across an increasing spectrum was a way of life for their four children as they grew up, Danny and Dottie made sure to encourage them all to follow their own dreams.
    “They tried to discourage us from even thinking about coming into the business,” said Matt. “They didn’t want to pressure or persuade us in any way.”
   But the values established by their parents—the sense of caring, community and family—drove each of them to become part of the family business, each said.
   Kate, Matt and Andrew Salmon work directly for The Salmon Family of Services; older brother D.J. owns and operates a landscape business in Uxbridge, which he started entirely on his own. While D.J. is totally separate and independent, he is happy to maintain some of the company properties.
   Recently Matt has transitioned from his role as Executive Director of the Northbridge campus to the newly created position of Vice President of Programs, Quality and Innovation. This position will help the Salmons maintain their strong core values and prepare to meet the future needs of the populations they serve.
   “You realize, when you’re working for someone else, you take for granted the work ethic you learned growing up,” said Andrew Salmon, Executive Director of the Northbridge campus, who is most recent to the companies. “Watching my brother, sister and parents working for the family business drew me back in. It’s more than dollars and cents; it’s a part of you.”
   The commitment the Salmon family has to each other and their services to older people spills over into their relationships with their staff, making them more of an extended family than simply employees. They credit this devoted team for helping create their success.
    “We respect and appreciate the people we work with,’’ Kate stated.
   Not everyone would choose to devote their careers to the field of such care, seeing it as difficult and sometimes depressing, but knowing they have improved the lives of so many people in so many situations keeps the Salmons enthusiastic, according to Kate.
    “People make a point to stop us in the hall, call us on the phone and send us letters, all expressing appreciation for the care and services we give them or those they love. Some of our staff members are people who first came to know about us through visiting residents who are friends or family, and being so impressed they wanted to be a part of it,” she added.
    “There’s a pride with which we approach our jobs,” Andrew said.
   Matt and Kate concur:
    “Having your name on your business in our case demonstrates the pride we feel, pride in the current business and pride in the contributions of the previous generations,” Matt added. “We grew up with this. I remember our father sitting at the kitchen table doing paperwork after supper and our parents stopping in at Beaumont in the middle of the night to touch base with staff and see how things were going.”
    “We constantly feel that pride and commitment,” Kate said. “It’s what makes it all worthwhile, being part of something bigger and more important than any one person.”
   While this family business is special, it brings with it enormous responsibility.
    “Things don’t ever go away. You have to be ‘on’ 100 percent every day,” Andrew said.
   However, it is that family unity and dedication which drives the younger generation of Salmons to keep the business growing.
   Their grandmother reflects on how things have come about: “Who would have dreamed all this could come out of setting up that small nursing home many years ago?”
   “We’re going to maintain the high quality we’re known for, and continue to innovate,” Matt said. “That will allow the legacy and tradition of The Salmon Family of Services, the accomplishments of our parents and grandparents, to continue and grow.”

Through The Willows at Westborough, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough, The Salmon Family of Services, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve.

 

The Child Care Center at Beaumont hosts its
first preschool graduation ceremony

Northbridge, MA, August 21, 2006 _The Child Care Center at Beaumont in Northbridge, Massachusetts has been caring for children from the age of 6 weeks through Kindergarten for 10 years, and hosted their first official Graduation Ceremony on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 5 PM. The ceremony was held on The Center’s playground.
   Graduation was held in conjunction with the Center’s 10th Annual End-of-the-Year Cookout. All children who attend The Center and their families were invited to participate. More than 100 people attended, including residents from Beaumont at Northbridge, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences in Northbridge and Westborough.
   One 97-year-old Beaumont resident attended to watch one of her great-grandchildren graduate. 
   According to Melissa Patterson, Director, “The Child Care Center at Beaumont is unique in offering ongoing intergenerational programs with senior residents on the Northbridge campus from Beaumont Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences and Whitney Place Adult Day Health. The children even visit the residents at our Westborough campus. It’s great to give a group of typical youngsters the chance to spend time with older people. ”
    “Throughout the year children have participated in both routine and special activities with the residents and volunteered weekly at Whitney Place Adult Day Health Center. We’ve visited The Ecotarium in Worcester, Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon and the Whitinsville Library all together.”
    “Having the children interact with our seniors is beneficial for both. I’m not sure who enjoys it more!”
   Patterson plans on making graduation an annual tradition.
    “I have been here for 3 years, first as a teacher. We felt the time was right to host a real ceremony with participation from all 26 preschoolers.”
   During the short program the preschool children sang a special song with their teachers, and the graduates received diplomas while wearing caps and gowns in the purple and white school colors.
    “We feel a special bond with the eight wonderful children who will be entering Kindergarten in September, some of whom have been with us since they were infants.” 
   Lead preschool teachers, Kris Lange and Tracy Hakala, have been at The Child Care Center since 1996, and feel especially proud of all of the children who have gone off to Kindergarten over the years.
   The Child Care Center at Beaumont is open to the public; however, Salmon Family of Services’ staff receives priority access and a discount. The Center offers day care for infants and toddlers and a preschool program. They currently serve 65 children from 55 families; about 60 percent of the families involved are employees and the remaining 40 percent are from the community.
   Devon Bruyere of Whitinsville, Deven Crews of Whitinsville, Cassie Rizzo of Hopkinton, Zachary Roberts of Northbridge, Grace Robinson of Whitinsville, Hannah Rabitor of Whitinsville, and Matthew Warner of Northbridge are the seven children who graduated on Friday.

The Child Care Center is owned by The Salmon Family of Services, a trusted provider of senior housing and healthcare in Central Massachusetts for over three generations. Through The Willows at Westborough, Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Whitney Place Adult Day Health Centers, Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Centers and The Child Care Centers, located in Natick, Northborough, Northbridge and Westborough, The Salmon Family of Services, founded in 1952, offers a full spectrum of services designed to maintain the highest possible quality of life for those they serve.