Revitalizing and Growing Our Senior Living Communities Posted on December 12, 2022March 8, 2023 Small Homes under construction As we celebrate the season and look forward to a new year, we reflect on the past with gratefulness in our hearts – giving thanks for everything… (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Over this past year, Lutheran SeniorLife enhanced its ability to deliver life-changing services with the completion of several projects, including the first phase of the small homes program, St. John expansion project and renovations to the cottages of the Passavant Community. The Small Homes Program Small Homes, kitchen Lutheran SeniorLife recently received its license to open the first of the small homes in the Island section of the City of Butler. The program is a function of LIFE Butler County, owned and operated by Lutheran SeniorLife and the Butler Health System. The handicap accessible home can accommodate up to six, Medicaid-eligible residents. It comes equipped with appliances, an open floor plan as well as a large great room opening up to a kitchen and dining area. The home is conveniently located a block from the LIFE Butler County center. “The small homes program is a very unique model. The program enables qualified participants of the LIFE program to live in a new, residential home and remain active, and part of their community,” explained David Fenoglietto, Lutheran SeniorLife CEO. Completed Small Homes LIFE Butler County will provide transportation to and from the center for the residents. While at the center, residents will have the opportunity to socialize, enjoy a meal and participate in scheduled activities. Participants will also have access to routine doctor examinations, as well as other medical services like physical and occupational therapists. St. John Community: Accepting Personal Care and Residential Living Applications The Residence at St. John One of the first residents to move into Edgewood Grove, personal care is 90-year-old, Alice Vogel, the grandmother of Samantha Rapuk, Executive Director of the St. John Community. “It’s a real blessing to have my grandma so close to me,” explained Rapuk. “We have such a close bond and I know she is being cared for by the best team.” It has been a little more than a year since the first shovel broke ground to expand residential and personal care living options at the St. John Community. The project relocated the personal care neighborhood of Edgewood Grove to the fourth floor of St. John with 39 modernized apartments. It also created 27 new residential living apartments —The Residence at St. John. The Residence at St. John, library and entrance lobby The St. John Community is a continuing care community, and includes The Residence of St. John and Overbrook Pointe, residential living; Edgewood Grove, personal care; RoseCrest, assisted living with memory care, and St. John Specialty Care, skilled nursing. A capital campaign is currently underway to support the project. To make a donation, contact Jane Bittcher at 724-316-5843. Passavant Renovations Provide Residents New Home Experience Passavant Community, cottage renovation Bob and Nancy Hesch of the Passavant Community in Zelienople had become accustomed to travelling the country since purchasing their RV in the early 2000s. Years later, the Heschs, who have been married for 52 years, decided to build a retirement home in Townville, South Carolina. They knew at some point, they wanted to move into a continuing care retirement community just like their parents. However, they hadn’t planned on moving so soon. A late Christmas card delivered in January of 2019, marked the beginning of an “incredible journey” to move closer to their twin daughters that they hadn’t seen since birth. (To read the full story, Click Here) Passavant Community, cottage kitchen The Heschs were well aware of the Passavant Community after living in Cranberry Township for over 30 years. “We took a tour of this (stand-alone cottage) and said: ‘That’s it’, we love downtown Zelie, that’s where we wanted to live,” said Nancy. They had their choice of new cabinets, handles, counter top, paint and flooring. According to Nancy, “We were expecting to do our own work, such as painting and other renovations, but all we ended up doing was picking and choosing what we wanted to change, and the rest was taken care of.” “We couldn’t have been any happier with the process.”