RoseCrest Doesn’t Just Feel Like Home to Residents—It Is Home.

Jane, an 80-year-old retiree from the area, quickly finished the last hand of a card game and rushed away. Tonight, she had somewhere to be.

It was bowling night at RoseCrest.

She loves her cards. She plays almost every day, however, as with most of those who live at RoseCrest, bowling night is where the action is.

“Watching residents bowl is one of the highlights of working here,” said Gina Strasbaugh, marketing coordinator for RoseCrest Assisted Living, a memory support center on the campus of St. John Community in Mars, part of the Lutheran SeniorLife system.

“Laughing, cheering, it’s always that way, and some of them are still very competitive,” she said.

The transition to assisted living is almost always a challenging time for caregivers. How will Mom or Dad do? Will they make friends? Will this help keep their minds sharp? Most simply, will they like it?

“The truth is,” one adult caregiver said, “she has never been more active than she is right here. Before coming, not only wasn’t she very active…she didn’t want to be.”

Strasbaugh said that is a common theme for families, but in almost every situation, families rave about the improvement with their family members.

The secret?

“Oh, it’s the staff. It’s the activities. They keep the residents busy, and the staff is phenomenal,” Strasbaugh said.

One of the main reasons for the success at RoseCrest is the very low staff turnover. “We are blessed with staff who just love to work here.”

RoseCrest opened in May of 2011 as the first certified assisted-living facility in Pennsylvania offering memory support.

The amenities outshine most competitors.

RoseCrest is a secure-dementia community with 30 individual suits with private baths, three meals a day, daily activities and demonstrated success in helping residents who are dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s or other memory issues.

RoseCrest is part of the Lutheran SeniorLife continuing care community on the St. John Community campus in Mars, so if a resident needs a higher level of care, they can remain on campus in familiar surroundings. That step-up care option in senior living can be a critical component.

Despite all of that, it is the staff and activity schedule that usually captures the interest of those visiting.

“There is constant physical and mental stimulation. Outings to parks—they went to a PNC Park for a Pittsburgh Pirates game last week – the activity program is vibrant,” Strasbaugh said.

There are two outdoor secured courtyards with gardens, an indoor activity center as well as a private room for family gatherings.

One resident – a retired pastor—has become very involved in the spiritual activities, which includes two services a week plus a rosary service.

There is a 24/7 visitation policy, and families, including children, are welcome to participate in any of the activities.

“30 is also a fairly small community, which allows for more one-on-one attention,” Strasbaugh said.

As Jane left the card game to head for bowling, she was asked if living at RoseCrest is as nice as living at home.

“This is home,” she replied.

For more information about RoseCrest Assisted Living, please contact Gina Strasbaugh at gina.strausbaugh@lutheranseniorlife.org.