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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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RoseCrest Doesn’t Just Feel Like Home
to Residents—It Is Home.
ane, 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 noted 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 suites 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, he/she 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, sporting and social events—the activities
program is vibrant,” Strasbaugh said.
There are two outdoor secured courtyards with
gardens, an indoor center and also 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.
“It is also a fairly small community, which allows for more one-
on-one attention,” Strasbaugh added.
As Jane left the card game to head to bowling,
she was asked if living at RoseCrest is as nice as
living at home.
“This is home,” she replied.
For more information, contact Gina Strasbaugh
at [email protected].
FOX CHAPEL AREA
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WINTER 2019
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