People of Perley - Braiden Wassill

For Braiden Wassill, Perley Health feels like part of his extended family. When he was young, his mother worked here as a Registered Practical Nurse. One day, she saw a posting for a job as a meal helper and encouraged Braiden, then in high school, to apply.

“The job fit perfectly into my schedule,” says Braiden, “and I discovered that I really enjoyed it. I especially liked to spend time with the residents, to hear their stories and learn about their lives. Sometimes, it was just small talk; other times, they'd tell me about their experiences and accomplishments. I almost always found their stories interesting, which made them feel good and that, in turn, made me feel good. In some ways, they reminded me of my grandparents.”

A few years later, Braiden took a job in housekeeping. By this time, he was a student at Algonquin College and would go on to earn an advanced diploma in International Business Administration.

“I loved all my colleagues in housekeeping; they're all fantastic people,” he says. “I did well in the job and moved up to lead hand. While recovering from some surgery, I worked in the swab clinic for a time, where I got to know other members of the Perley community-- family, volunteers and staff.”

After a short stint as an administration assistant, Braiden moved into a new role: Human Resources Specialist.

“Being able to help out the people that I've been working around for so long feels really fulfilling feeling for me,” he says. “Over the years, I've been invited to a lot of gatherings outside of work by both staff and the families of residents. To me, being invited to those events means that people recognize the value of the work I do.”

“At some point during the 12 years I've worked here, I recognized that the people here feel almost like family to me,” he says. “I've worked a wide spectrum of jobs and each one had positive impacts on residents and staff. This is a great place to work if you want to make a difference in someone's life.”

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"It's like a family here. If you really do care about enriching the lives of those that are here, Perley's a great place to do it, a great, great place to do it.” - Braiden Wassill, Human Resources Business Partner