A Place to Call Home

At Emeritus at Fort Wayne community, life stories abound. Esther, a senior in her late 90s, drove herself to the community. No longer comfortable where she was living, and with her only relative living out-of-state, she needed to find a new place to call home. Now a resident at Emeritus, Esther was invited to spend Thanksgiving at the home of one of the management staff. 

“I often worry because I’m old and have no family near,” she says. “But now I have a new family.”

William was a senior who was living on his own in the country. When he lost his ability to drive, he needed a new place to call home. The family visited many places, but William didn’t like any of the others. At Emeritus, he and his adult children felt welcome.

He asked his daughter, “Do you think the people will still be nice to me after I move in?” The answer was yes. William says he still feels at home here.

Emeritus at Fort Wayne, formerly known as Village Oaks, is an assisted living community that was founded in 1998. The white picket-fenced residence has 63 apartments and five levels of care available. Whether they drive, like Esther, or are admitted from a partnering hospital for long- or short-term care, residents are allowed to bring their own furnishings. Laundry, cleaning, fine dining and medical help are standard services. Movies, shopping trips, classes and other recreational and social activities are provided.

Emeritus offers a secure memory care neighborhood in which residents who have Alzheimer’s or dementia are welcome and loved. The staff is trained in Join Their Journey®. This means that the staff joins a resident in their moment instead of trying to bring the resident into our reality. Through this approach, the staff recognizes the resident as a person with a right to make choices and allows the resident to live their life in a way that feels familiar. If a resident believes that she is getting ready for a date, Emeritus staff is trained to engage, helping her to pick a dress or fix her hair.

The Emeritus leadership team brings years of experience in elder care. At monthly trainings, all the staff is encouraged to interact with residents with respect and care.

“Our residents don’t live in our building. We work in our residents’ home,” they say.

Emeritus at Fort Wayne is proud to have had a deficiency-free annual survey for the last three years.

For Esther, William and many other seniors, a change in living situation becomes necessary. At Emeritus, seniors and their families can find a community of friends and an experienced team with resources to cover a variety of needs. Emeritus at Fort Wayne can be a place for seniors to truly call home.

In the photo: L to R: Cindy Wyss, Memory Care Director; Bonnie Raver-Elliott, Community Relations Director; Kathy DiIanni, Executive Director; and Natalie Lehman, Resident Care Director