Our April Aide of the Month, Betty Jo Francis, is both diligent and compassionate. Betty Jo lives in Rochester, NY, and has been in the caregiving field for over 25 years. During her many years in the field, Betty Jo has done almost everything; including scheduling, quality assurance, and compliance. However, after a recent life-changing experience, Betty Jo decided to return to working hands-on as a Personal Care Aide, where her true passion lies, “When my life got altered last April, I figured that I might as well be happy my remaining years that I’m working.”
Betty Jo is not only passionate about home care, she also has a very personal connection to the field. Betty Jo’s grandmother lived to be 104 and was able to stay at home in her final years. Her grandmother passed away during the height of the pandemic (not because of COVID-19) and Betty Jo’s family did not want her to be in a nursing home where COVID-19 was rampant. Thanks to Betty Jo, her family, and an in-home nurse who came once a week, Betty Jo’s grandmother was able to stay in the comfort of her home.
Betty Jo currently works with a client she adores. The two do a wide variety of engaging activities together. Last December, the two made beautiful hand-crafted gifts for the holiday season. One of Betty Jo’s favorite activities to do with her client is cooking. They enjoy cooking a vast array of meals from delicious Italian meatloaf to mouth-watering scallops. Her client’s friend is having her 83rd birthday and the two plan on making her a scrumptious carrot cake.
Outside of work, Betty Jo enjoys spending time with her family including her cat. She has a loving husband, three children, and nine grandchildren. Her children and grandchildren live across the country, giving Betty Jo and her husband plenty of fun places to travel for vacation. Betty Jo has a unique connection with one of her granddaughters. When Betty Jo was younger, she had an imaginary friend. “My pretend friend just happened to come to life in form of my granddaughter, name and everything, and my daughter had no idea.” Without knowing the story of her mother's imaginary friend, Betty Jo's daughter was planning to give her baby the same name. Betty Jo’s granddaughter grew to look exactly like her imaginary friend. “I had the pleasure of telling my granddaughter the story and she cried and gave me a hug.”
Betty Jo is a loving and passionate individual, and she believes these qualities are important to have as an Aide. “You’ve gotta be that type of person that it’s not about you, that it’s about somebody else and, you know, trying to make their life better.” Thank you, Betty Jo, for sharing your story and for all your hard work!
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