Bethany Life Communities
Bethany Life Communities' Brief History
Bethany Manor, or Bethany Life Communities as this ministry is now known, will be celebrating 90 years of serving senior citizens this year. Surely the founders who first gathered in 1911 to discuss the possibilities for the home and hospital that opened in 1914 could hardly have imagined the growth and development of Bethany Life Communities over these intervening years.
The core of Bethany Life Communities is Bethany Manor, a long-term care facility that serves 180 residents. Among those residents are 34 who benefit from the low-stimulus and safe environment of two dementia units. Over the past two years, Bethany Manor has begun serving persons who qualify for Medicare benefits in increasing numbers. Most often these residents are at Bethany Manor on a short-term basis for therapies and rehabilitation before returning to their own home. While maintaining an excellent reputation and an outstanding record of certification surveys by the state regulatory agency, Bethany Manor has moved into an aggressive campaign of continuous quality improvement to assure that the highest quality of care will be always be foremost at Bethany Manor. The "Eden Alternative" has been embraced by Bethany Life Communities as it provides the residents with a home rather than an institution by adding the warmth and spontaneity of children, companion animals, and plants to the environment.
In 1984, Cedar Place was added to the housing options provided by this ministry. The fifty subsidized apartments have filled a huge need within the community since its beginning. A government grant is allowing Cedar Place to undergo renovations, converting 24 of its units to assisted living. This is a vital addition to the constituency Bethany Life Communities serves because of the subsidized aspect of this particular setting.
Most recently, Timberland Village was created to serve seniors whose needs are varied. Thirty-six beautiful apartments allow seniors to enjoy their retirement without the annoyances of house maintenance, and the option of adding housekeeping and meal services. Timberland Village is also the site of 24 assisted living apartments, serving persons whose in-home needs are met with more services rather than a full-service nursing home setting. Beautifully crafted in a wooded setting, Timberland Village offers an excellent option for seniors wanting to live in community with services readily available as they become needed.
Twin homes are being added to the Timberland Village site, providing yet another trouble-free independent housing option for seniors in the Bethany Life Communities continuum.
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