For Heather Edge, the road to becoming Butterfield’s transition social worker wasn’t a straight line – it was a journey through different states, career changes and a desire to serve something greater than herself. Whether she’s donning a blow-up bunny costume to make residents smile or navigating a family through the complexities of a difficult health diagnosis, Heather brings her own special blend of thick skin and a massive heart to every interaction.
After the national trauma of 9/11, Heather felt a strong pull to serve her country and joined the National Guard’s 142nd Field Artillery Brigade while continuing her education as a single parent. Heather holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. Before finding her “meant to be” home at Butterfield nearly three years ago, she spent five years in the high-octane environment of the Washington Regional ER. “I loved the fast pace. No two patients were the same,” Heather recalls. And while she occasionally misses the 120-mile-an-hour energy, she doesn’t miss being “screamed at or having water thrown on her” by ER patients who were clearly “having one of the very worst days of their life.”
A Personal Connection to Care
Heather readily shares her deep, personal empathy with the individuals and families she supports. Having walked difficult journeys of Alzheimer’s, dementia and prostate cancer with three grandparents and her mother-in-law, she understands the fear and sadness that comes with watching a loved one change. “I can say, ‘I get it,’ because I’ve been there,” she says. Heather often tells those who have taken on the role of supporting a husband or wife, “I want you to be able to be a spouse and not just a caregiver.” She describes her role as one of anticipating crisis and helping families figure out their own ‘crisis point’…that moment when they must have more support. When that crisis point arrives, her problem-solving skills kick in to find the right resources and help.
Finding Joy (or Creating it Yourself)
Despite the weight of her work, Heather has an infectious sense of humor. “I’m the biggest airhead I know,” she laughs, admitting she’s just as likely to break into an interpretive dance or sing a show tune in the hallway as she is to provide a critical resource to someone in need. “Airhead” or not, Heather has found a formula for turning serious business into serious fun. Between 2023 and 2025, she has led the charge to help Butterfield raise money for the Arkansas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association through social events like the annual “Sock it to Alzheimer’s” Dinner and Sock Hop – resulting in nearly $40,000 in donations going toward resources and research to fight dementia throughout the state.
Heather finds daily joy in what she calls the “everyday higher standard” of the Butterfield community. She appreciates the history — sometimes lifelong relationships — many residents have with their neighbors. “To witness the caring and the love and the kindness residents show each other… it’s absolutely amazing,” she says. And she is thankful to be part of a community where she doesn’t have to give up who she is to give 100% of herself to the people she serves.
Outside of work, Heather and her husband, Brad, have a blended family with four children and eight-and-a-half grandchildren (one is still on the way). And while she loves her life in Fayetteville, Heather says her bucket list is topped by a fervent wish to travel one day to the warm shores of Greece and Italy.
