Tag Archive for: Masonic Communities

MCSA is proud to be affiliated with Masonicare in Connecticut to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our member spotlight of April.

Masonicare 2024 Update

Minnesota Masonic Home Logo

Minnesota Masonic Home

Who is Minnesota Masonic Home?

Since its inception in 1918 with the acquisition of Marion W. Savage’s 271-acre estate, Minnesota Masonic Home has offered a serene and supportive environment for countless senior citizens. For over a century, we have upheld an unparalleled standard of care for our residents, thanks to our dedicated staff who continue this legacy even in challenging times, such as during the pandemic.

Our campus adapts to the evolving needs of our community, offering state-of-the-art housing solutions tailored to individual needs. We provide personalized and compassionate care from a cozy retirement community of independent living townhomes along the Minnesota River to specialized care for those requiring ongoing medical attention or skilled nursing. We offer a wide selection of care services to best fit our community, including:

  • Independent Living
  • Assisted Living
  • Long-Term Car
  • Transitional Care
  • Outpatient Services
  • Memory Care

As pioneers in elder care since the early 1900s, we are honored by the local and national recognition we receive for our outstanding senior care. We remain committed to maintaining this distinguished reputation and meeting the diverse needs of our residents.

You can learn more about our staff and history on our YouTube page at the links below:

  1. Staffing
  2. Minnesota Masonic Charities Kare 30

MCSA is proud to have members like Minnesota Masonic Home.

See our other Member Spotlights on our News Page!

Washington Masonic Services

Washington Masonic Services

Washington Masonic Services: Designated Charitable Entity of The Grand Lodge of Washington

Our Legacy

In response to the growing need for a supportive and safe living environment for aging and infirm Masons, the Grand Lodge of Washington saw the creation of the Masonic Retirement Center (MRC) as a way to provide for aging Brothers, their families, and others in need. Today, Washington Masonic Services carries out the purpose of the MRC: supporting aging Masons and their families, and those in crisis to live with safety, dignity, and care.

Beginning

Our organization was originally formed in 1994 as the “Masonic Retirement Center of Washington” to operate the Masonic Retirement Center (MRC), which opened in 1926 in Des Moines, WA.

In 2012, the MRC was consolidated with the other nonprofit efforts of the Grand Lodge of Washington, and the resulting entity was named “Washington Masonic Charities”. The programmatic areas of focus are seniors, youth and education, and Masonic heritage.

Next Steps

Through the years, people’s thoughts on how they want to live in retirement shifted to staying in their homes and communities, which meant an ever-dwindling client base for the MRC as costs continued to escalate. Eventually operation of the MRC was no longer sustainable. With great regret, the property was sold in 2019.

Now: The programs and services continued unabated.

Today, Washington Masonic Services case managers work in close collaboration with the Grand Lodge, Blue Lodges, individual Masons, Appendant and Concordant Bodies, and other community partners. In addition, WAMS invests in youth through a robust and growing scholarship program and illuminates the impact of Masonry on Washington’s past, present, and future by operating the Masonic Library & Museum.

In order to better meet our mission of service to Masons, their families, and communities, in 2022 we began doing business as Washington Masonic Services to eliminate the barriers some people associate with the word “charities.”

Three Primary Programs and Services

Outreach Services

Outreach Services aim to build hope, agency, and dignity for the people we serve, nurturing their leadership and independence. Our program objectives are for clients to have quality support to meet their family’s needs in aging; and assistance to meet basic needs for dignified living. Examples could be partnering with a family to do safety planning and implementing necessary home modifications, finding care resources, or streamlining finances.

Youth Investment

Youth Investment builds bridges to help connect young people to pathways for their future. The WAMS Scholarship Program’s purpose is that qualified young people can further their education. This growing effort includes 20+ scholarships giving 17 awards, including tracks targeting Masonic Youth Groups, and youth from families who have immigrated to the US.

Library & Museum

The archives and exhibits of the Washington Masonic Library & Museum tell the story of Freemasonry’s role in the creation and growth of Washington State. The collection houses approximately 50,000 books and documents, 3,000 Masonic-related objects, and more than 250,000 physical and digital photographic and other images. The collection is available to researchers and the community for analysis, education, and personal growth.

MCSA is proud to have members like Washington Masonic Services.

See our other Member Spotlights on our News Page!

Snapshot: RLPS and the Masonic Experience

Masonic Care Community New York Fishing Trip

An Update from Masonic Care Community New York

MCSA is proud to be affiliated with Masonicare in Connecticut to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our member spotlight of April.

Historic Milestone as Two Legacy Organizations Join Forces

[Wallingford, Shelton, CT] – On May 13, 2024, two of Connecticut’s legacy senior living providers announced their intent to join forces in a historic strategic alliance. Masonicare Corporation, Connecticut’s largest not-for-profit senior care organization and United Methodist Homes, Inc. (“UMH”), a 150-year-old organization with five locations in Connecticut as well as an active third-party management business, entered into an agreement to join forces through a carefully-planned alliance designed to strengthen the delivery of care and services for the approximately 6,500 residents and patients in their care. Once concluded, this strategic union will mark a significant milestone in the history of both organizations and will set the stage for a new era of growth, innovation, and sustainability.

With a shared commitment to excellence and a rich heritage steeped in values, Masonicare and UMH will bring together a wealth of strengths, resources and expertise that will propel the unified organization to new heights. “By combining our complementary capabilities and talent, we will be poised to create a stronger, more resilient organization that is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of our residents, patients and stakeholders,” states Jon-Paul Venoit, President and CEO of Masonicare. “From our dedicated teams, to our cutting-edge technologies and extensive partner networks, we are confident that the alliance will enable us to deliver even greater value to those in our care.”

As part of the agreement, UMH will become part of the Masonicare family. Jon-Paul Venoit will remain as President and CEO of Masonicare and David Lawlor, the current President and CEO of the United Methodist Homes, will hold an executive role serving as Masonicare’s CFO and also President of its management/consulting services division. The alliance remains subject to, among other things, regulatory approvals and approval from the organizations’ governing bodies. The parties anticipate that the affiliation will be completed in early 2025.

“Our goal is clear: to harness the collective strengths, talent, and know-how of both companies to form one stronger, enduring, mission-based organization that redefines the standards of excellence in the field of senior living. We are excited to embark on this transformative journey and thrive into the future,” states Lawlor.

Upon consummation, the newly combined organization will work to integrate their teams, systems and processes in a seamless transition.

Both Masonicare and UMH credit their dedicated staff and visionary Board members with making this alliance a reality.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Ann Collette
Chief, Strategy
Masonicare
203-695-2799
[email protected]

Masonicare

Masonicare is Connecticut’s largest not-for-profit integrated senior care continuum. With residential living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, senior behavioral health hospital, home health care, homemaker companion, and hospice & palliative care, Masonicare cares for nearly 4.500 patients and residents a day. For more information, visit them on the web at www.masonicare.org

United Methodist Homes

UMH is a 150-year-old organization which owns and operates five communities in Connecticut and also owns The Long Hill Company, a for-profit management and consulting firm with current operations in Texas, Oklahoma and Oregon. Together, UMH and Long Hill care for approximately 2,000 residents each day.

Learn more about the historic merger between Masonicare and United Methodist Homes to bring better care to Connecticut seniors.

See our other Member Spotlights on our News Page!

MCSA is proud to be affiliated with The Overlook in Charlton/Masonic Health System of MA, Inc. to keep our seniors happy and healthy. Read more about our member spotlight of February.

Masonic Health System of MA, Inc./The Overlook in Charlton

About MHS

For over 100 years, Masonic Health System of MA, Inc., or The Overlook in Charlton, has provided a continuum of care and health services for Massachusetts residents and their families. Today, The Overlook tailors to individuals with a wide variety of needs. They offer independent living, enhanced assisted living, memory careskilled nursingshort-term rehabilitation, home health, and  hospice.

Persevering Through the Pandemic

Back in 2020, Masonic Health System of MA, Inc. suffered some substantial blows at the hands of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Extreme staffing shortages, an increase in outside agency wages, and an increase in the costs in delivery of care hit us hard. To add insult to injury, the MA Department of Public Health forced multiple shutdowns to new admissions.

However, perseverance was key at The Overlook, as it still is today. We are still serving our senior community, despite having to absorb decreases in reimbursement and reductions in payments outside of our control, such as:

  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  • Commercial insurance companies
  • Price inflation for supplies and services
  • The growing need for capital improvements to our aging Campus and buildings

These obstacles make us prouder than ever of our 110+ year history at Masonic Health System! We remain extremely optimistic about The Overlook’s future. Our methods of proactively addressing these concerns with grit and innovative solutions are a testament to our resiliency. We refuse to be crippled and derailed like so many other companies. In fact, The Overlook experienced 31 sales in 2022, 28 sales in 2023, and an occupancy rate exceeding 93%. We are poised and positioned for an exciting future!

The Masonic Health System of MA, Inc./The Overlook in Charlton’s Master Plan

In July 2022, The Overlook completed a Request for Proposal for a large Master Planning process, targeting ten highly reputable national agencies. After narrowing the respondents from 10 to 4 finalists, MHS is proud to be working with RLPS & Witz Company, The Overlook’s Master Planning architects and development partners as of October 2022.

From restaurants to hiking trails to meaningful and enriching experiences, The Overlook is determined to enhance the way we age and engage. Excitingly, partnerships and developments have already begun! We now have a full-service veterinary clinic on Overlook’s Campus in Charlton and an affiliation with the National Innovation Center for Aging in Newcastle, England. The Overlook is now the first senior living hub/community of longevity in the United States!

The Overlook’s Master Planning process will also reinvigorate its Fund Development and Philanthropy Program. With the launch of a Capital Campaign to help raise funds for the project, we are already on the road to completion.

A successful Master Plan will ensure The Overlook’s long-term viability and ability to serve its Mission for years to come. The implementation of this plan will progress in two phases:

Phase 1

Phase 1 focuses on relocating and renovating, and will take 2+ years to complete. During Phase 1, we will be:

  1. Relocating Overlook’s Short Term Rehabilitation Unit to a more favorable location on the Charlton Campus.
  2. Renovating and increasing the units from 27 to 40 Private Rooms.
  3. Reducing The Overlook’s Long-Term Care Units from 112 Private Rooms to 78.
  4. Relocating and doubling the size of the Assisted Living Fieldstone Memory Care.
  5. Updating Stonebrook Enhanced Living.
  6. Updating the 1st & 3rd floors of Long-Term Care.

Phase 2

In conjunction with Phase 1, Master Planning Phase 2 will transform The Overlook beyond its singular Mission of serving older adults. Instead, we will be shifting to a multi-generational, mixed-use Campus! This involves creating a “Village Center” with numerous outlets for individuals of all ages. Here, they will be able to build and enjoy life through exciting amenities, services, and programs designed to positively impact lifestyle, health and wellness. We expect Phase 2 to take 5+ years to complete.

We encourage you to read more on our blog and reach out to us for a tour and more information at 866-753-5429!

MCSA is proud to have members like The Overlook in Charlton/Masonic Health System of MA, Inc. to benefit our seniors in any way we can.

See our other Business Member Spotlights on our News Page!