Several exciting projects are taking shape at both The Christian Village at Mason (CVM) and The Christian Village at Mt. Healthy (CVMH).
“Sadly, we see no slowing down for memory support in the near future,” says Larry Monroe, president and CEO of Christian Village Communities. “I wish we were talking about a new medical advancement that would eradicate [dementia] from the face of the earth, but as one of Cincinnati’s oldest and most experienced providers for healthcare seniors, we felt [memory support] was a need we needed to expand upon.”
CVMH’s new Guardian Center for Memory Support addresses that need. To make room for the unit, they took a floor that had previously been used for independent living and gutted it to create 17 private suites with spacious tiled bathrooms and showers, bright and cheery common areas, dining room, kitchen, electronic fireplace, and a large, open common seating area for residents needing memory support.
“Seniors deserve the best, no matter what stage of life they are in. We want to meet residents in the place where they are,” says Monroe. “We have found that having that openness and brightness brings joy to their lives, and that’s our primary goal.”
Additionally, CVMH is constructing a brand-new floor called the Serenity Center for Nursing Care — scheduled to open this summer — that will feature large private rooms, a beautiful, bright dayroom and open dining room.
“When Mt. Healthy was built, it was common to have dual occupancy for nursing care, but we are investing a million dollars to retrofit these into private nursing care rooms for patients,” Monroe explains.
A third exciting venture is happening at CVM. They’re rolling out the new Manor Home concept, which is essentially a 3,200-square-foot home (with garage) for a retiree who craves extra room to house children, grandchildren or other visitors.
“We have sampled the market to determine the level of interest in these types of homes and found there is a great need,” notes Monroe. “We believe this will continue to be part of our strategy for the future.”
Because CVM has such a robust activities calendar, they have elected to build the Stone Worship Center & Auditorium, named after resident Sam Stone and his wife, Gwen. Sam, who is an author, speaker, and former editor-in-chief of Standard Publishing, has devoted his life to Christian service. Currently, Mason’s largest venue only seats 100, and staff recognized that they needed a larger gathering space to hold concerts, events and church services.
“Chapel service has been growing tremendously. In fact, we just added a third worship service to accommodate the crowds, so this new 400-seat auditorium will be great,” says Monroe. It will include premium sound and acoustics, enabling residents to enjoy movie nights. There will also be a banquet facility just adjacent to the auditorium, as well as a gathering area in the atrium where residents can socialize.
“We hope to break ground later this spring on that project,” says Monroe. “Once we do, we’ll see a new energy breathed into the community.”
For more information about Christian Village Communities, visit www.christianvillages.org.