No matter the stage of life, you deserve the opportunity to thrive. This article series is presented by Brethren Care Village, a retirement community in Ashland.
Brethren Care Village officially opened its doors to the Ashland community on Sept. 2, 1972.
During the summer months, current residents living on campus celebrated Brethren Care Village’s 50 years of positive progression and change with individual facility cookouts, entertainment and two invited guests due to Covid-19 restrictions.
With wanting to shield the health of current residents on campus, the Executive Team at Brethren Care had to rethink how they were going to celebrate 50 years of service. “One of the things the team wanted to do was give back to the community 50 different ways throughout the year,” CEO of Brethren Care Village, Mindy Scurlock said.
Staff have volunteered their time around Ashland to include giving back to the United Way, Ashland Senior Citizen Center, various service clubs and personally serving on nonprofit boards.
Residents jumped in on the fun by making treats and blankets for cats and dogs as well as goodie treat bags to give back to first responders and various local businesses.
Brethren Care Village Campus as a whole has been able to give back through a marketing stance as well by donating gift baskets and gift cards to The Green’s Bistro and free memberships to the wellness center and the use of the community event center.
Finding joy in the little things: Gardener grows produce for all of Brethren Care
Throughout the years, Brethren Care Village in Ashland has grown in a multitude of ways. When The Benevolent Board of the Brethren Church chose this community to build a nursing home, the blueprints showed a 100-bed retirement center.
Brethren Care has since expanded into a full campus, giving many people a safe and happy place to call home.
“The expansion of services over the last 50 years provides a full range of options for senior living at Brethren Care Village. It is possible to move from independent living to more intensive nursing care within the campus,” Brethren Care Village Board Director, Dale Stoffer said.
The denotation of the phrase ‘long term care’ has changed drastically in the past 50 years as well.
“As a staff member who has worked at Brethren Care Village for the last 23 years it is easy to see how much long term care has transitioned,” Scurlock said. “People do not come to live their last days here, that is not what long term care is about anymore. We do an excellent job of showing that Brethren Care is more than that, and we are here to impact them for a better life.”
Dresses from angels: Longtime friends come together to sew dresses for those in need
The Life Care Community ensures the residents are able to enjoy life both on and off campus.
According to CFO, Matt McFarland, regular ice cream trips take place in the summer and some were even able to go to the Ashland County Fair last month to experience the atmosphere.
Brethren Care Village prides itself on the connections made between the staff and residents.
“Even though we maintain professional relationships and abide by regulations, the personal relationships formed is what makes us unique,” Scurlock said.
Families feel a comfort when seeing the close relationships between their loved ones and those who work at Brethren Care Village and know they are in great hands.
Brethren Care Village’s new Child Care Center adds special features for the community
“This devotion to loving care was present before the pandemic and still reverberates within the campus. I am honored to serve on the board of an organization that is full of individuals that care so much for our seniors,” Brethren Care Village Board Chair, Neil Hinkle said.
It can be a tough decision deciding where a friend, family member or even yourself will live when the time is right. When asked how Brethren Care Village assures people their loved one will be in good hands, Scurlock said: “There’s no blanket answer for everybody. We have to adapt to your story. If our mission of providing exceptional individualized care and service is able to fit what you are looking for, we will provide the safety, security and knowledge that your loved one is valued like one of our own family members.”
For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Brethren Care Village at (419) 289-1585.
