St. John’s will lead and inspire a shift in society’s views of elderhood by embracing and celebrating life’s experiences.
Mission
St. John’s embraces life with vibrant, caring, and life-affirming relationships.
We embrace living by being . . .
Innovative Respectful Friendly Responsive Compassionate Fun
Editor: Tom Harner tharner@stjohnsliving.org
Contributor and Cover Photo: Olivia Bailey
Vice President of Marketing: Jennifer Lesinski jlesinski@stjohnsliving.org
Chief Executive Officer: Charlie Runyon
Executive Director, St. John’s Foundation: Anne Mc Kenna
Mark and Bruce Wright
For Generations Families Have Turned to St. John’s for Solutions
Bruce Wright’s St. John’s story began almost 10 years ago, when his older brother Mark recognized that their mom Shirley could use more support for herself and for Bruce, who has lived with cerebral palsy since birth.
Welcoming Communities
Cover Photo: Mason and Ginn Fitch, residents since 2014, celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary with family and friends at Brickstone by St. John’s on June 24, 2024.
Mark had been living in the Rochester area with his family and practicing law for almost 30 years in 2015. With the intent to bring both Bruce and Shirley to the Rochester area—at the time then living almost two hours away in Dryden, NY—Mark immediately thought of St. John’s. “St. John’s was one of the first places that popped to mind,” says Mark. “I talked to the pastor at church, who said ‘thumbs up—St. John’s is about as good as it gets.’”
Initially, Bruce and Shirley moved into St. John’s Meadows together. Mark lovingly recalls his mother saying “this is too nice,” when she first saw the apartment, to which he told her, “no, it’s just nice enough.”
Shirley lived with Bruce in their two bedroom apartment in Chestnut Court for a few years before the onset of dementia. The developing challenges Shirley experienced with the disease ultimately led to her needing a higher level of care.
While Bruce continued to live at St. John’s Meadows, Shirley moved into St. John’s Home for about a year before ultimately residing in House 65 of the Penfield Green House Homes, just next door to House 75, which Bruce now calls home.
Bruce remembers his time at St. John’s Meadows as being very happy. He liked the sense of community and took part in many of the recreational activities offered there.
Welcoming Generations
Community representatives
Stephanie Krebbeks and Cindy Ruscio have each guided thousands of prospective St. John’s Meadows residents through the decisionmaking process since the community opened in 1997. Krebbeks remembers that it was around 2010 when she started hearing from daughters and sons of previous residents now looking for their own next move in retirement. “Many spoke of their appreciation for how the staff interacted with their parents when they were here,” says Krebbeks.
The phenomenon of older adults making a St. John’s community their home after parents or other relatives lived here previously has only continued. In other cases, the independent living stays of residents generations apart have even started to intersect.
Alice Morse’s late husband Jack spent the last years of his life at St. John’s. “He spent seven years and five months at St. John’s Home,” remembers Alice. “Somebody was always there with him.”
Alice and Jack had considered St. John’s prior to Jack’s move to long-term care and had toured independent living options over the years. “We decided we would move here someday,” says Alice, who herself moved to a Chestnut Court apartment at St. John’s Meadows in 2017. “Three levels of care—that’s one of the reasons I chose St. John’s all those years ago.”
“That’s an important factor,” says Alice’s daughter Barbara about the
spectrum of independent living, assisted living, and long-term care options at St. John’s. “It’s especially important if you don’t have a large family to rely on.”
Barbara also recalls how her mom’s move to St. John’s Meadows was made in coordination with her discharge from a rehabilitation stay. That experience impressed both mother and daughter. “I was all set up,” says Alice.
Welcoming Change
Barbara Burkhardt joined her mother Alice as a resident at St. John’s Meadows in 2024, though under different circumstances. Barbara’s own late husband had been equally satisfied with what he saw from St. John’s communities through Jack and Alice’s living experiences. Having worked in the safety field, he was impressed by the level of security and fire safety measures in place throughout the campus.
Her own family history with St. John’s and the seal of approval from those closest to her mattered when it was time to consider her own move. “I had looked at a couple of places, but they had entrance fees, the (monthly) rates were higher, and the costs included meals, which I don’t need,” says Barbara, who prepares most of her meals in the modern kitchen of her cottage.
While mother and daughter are separated by a short walk, or an even shorter drive as Barbara keeps her car in her cottage’s garage, they each have separate friends and interests. “We see each other two or three times a week,” says Alice. “Unless I need something, then I call her and she comes.”
Krebbeks feels strongly that independent living at St. John’s has evolved over time because of a
concerted effort to adapt to the wants and needs of older adults looking to embrace their later years in their own personal way. For those who watched their own family members benefit from the care and support that St. John’s provides, they still see the things that made St. John’s a great fit for their loved one.
This next generation of residents also appreciates the innovative ways that St. John’s can make the lifestyle they want for themselves a possibility. As Krebbeks puts it, “it is reassuring to those that knew us one way and see us adapting to change with positive adjustments.”
Barbara Burkhardt and Alice Morse celebrate Alice’s 101st birthday.
Welcoming Change FOR Building Communities and Programs to Serve Older Adults
Skilled Nursing
At the turn of the 20th century, the average life expectancy in America was just shy of 49 years old. While that may sound low compared to contemporary times, advancements in medicine, nutrition, and clean water led to a nearly 10 year increase in lifespans from 1880 to 1900.
As overall longevity was on the rise, long-term care at St. John’s got its start in 1899 when the German Home for the Aged opened its doors on November 21 on Lake Avenue in Rochester. The need for more space was almost immediate and two years later St. John’s Home moved to its current location on donated land adjacent to Rochester’s Highland Park.
Through a number of renovations and innovations, St. John’s Home grew to be a premier provider of long-term care in Rochester. St. John’s partnered with culture change pioneer the Green House Project and opened two new 10-bed nursing homes in Penfield in 2012, bringing
St. John’s skilled care to eastern Monroe County for the first time.
2024: St. John’s announced an important new collaboration with the University of Rochester Medical Center that promises to make more skilled care beds available while enhancing the well-being and prosperity of the Greater Rochester community.
Independent Living
The Social Security Act of 1935 created the first federal retirement benefits for Americans. As many of the nation’s employers expanded their employee benefit plans following World War II, the idea of voluntary retirement from the
workforce became ingrained in the public consciousness.
As the older adult population continued to grow over the second half of the 20th century, so too did the demand for new and different senior living options to fit evolving lifestyles and changing priorities.
St. John’s Meadows—now the Rochester area’s largest independent living community—opened in 1998 in Brighton and featured a variety of apartment options and standalone cottages. Demand for even more contemporary independent living options resulted in the opening of brand new apartments, bungalows, and town houses at Brickstone by St. John’s, located right next door to St. John’s Meadows in 2012.
2024: A 5-year schedule of renovations and enhancements to resident apartments and common areas across St. John’s Meadows help keep consumer demand and resident satisfaction high for independent living at St. John’s.
German Home for the Aged
Innovative Skilled Care
Rehabilitation
In 1965, the introduction of Medicare health benefits for older adults nationwide greatly affected long-term care models. As restorative care following an acute injury or illness became more commonplace and accessible, nursing homes became short-term residences for people continuing their recoveries. On-site physical therapy and independent skills training helped rehabilitation guests confidently return home.
The first formalized rehabilitation program started in the early 1970s, making short-term stays at St. John’s Home that were covered by insurance a possibility for people throughout the Greater Rochester area. Specialty programs in comfort care, adult day, and respite care also started in the 1970s as the health care landscape evolved.
2024: The demand for rehab services continues to grow. In October the South 1 neighborhood at St. John’s Home reopened to accommodate additional short-term admissions.
Enhanced Assisted Living
Assisted Living grew in popularity and prevalence starting in the 1990s and into the early part of the 21st century. Like nursing homes, these communities offer on-site nursing care that is overseen by the New York State Department of Health. However, residents in assisted living enjoy a greater sense of independence at a fraction of the cost of long-term care.
St. John’s opened the Hawthorne at St. John’s Meadows in 1998. The 38-bed community—one of the smallest assisted living residences in the area—earned New York State’s Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) licensure in 2018, further expanding the ability for current and future St. John’s residents to “Age in Place.”
2024: The Hawthorne at St. John’s Meadows was named a winner in the “Best Assisted Living” category of the 2024 Rochester Business Journal’s Reader Rankings Awards.
Dementia Care
The same year that St. John’s Home moved to Rochester’s Highland Park neighborhood in 1901, a German psychiatrist named Dr. Alois Alzheimer began treating a patient experiencing memory loss and other psychological changes. Further analysis of the patient’s brain
following her death led to the discovery of Alzheimer’s disease.
Today, there are an estimated 100,000 people in the Rochester area caring for a person living with dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form. St. John’s has been at the forefront of dementia care in Rochester for generations. In 2018, St. John’s launched our latest dementia specialty program, Beyond Memory.
to shape the future of long-term care. St. John’s celebrated its first full year of the Dementia Rehab and DRC Respite Programs at St. John’s Home.
2024: Innovative dementia care promises
Rehabilitation Today
Enhanced Assisted Living Residence
DRC Respite Program
Rehabilitation in the 1970s
Beyond Memory
5-Star Reviews Give High Marks for St. John’s Resident Experience
“St John’s is excellent. My mother was (at St. John’s Home) for a year and a half until her passing. They are wonderful…and treated everyone with the utmost respect. And my mother always talked about how good the food is. They really work hard to make a community, integrating the residents and staff seamlessly. I was initially worried about putting my mother anywhere, and I’m so glad I choose St John’s.”
- Karl Gebhardt
Talented St. John’s Employees Create Moments to Cherish
DrewAsia Douglass admits that her dining server position at St. John’s Meadows is her first real adult job and that she has found this new career extremely rewarding. The residents she serves have nothing but compliments to give DrewAsia. They say that her kind smile, attentiveness, and beautiful singing voice make for memorable dining experiences.
“We are very pleased to have joined the Brickstone community. Though we have been here just a short time, we have been warmly welcomed by many of our neighbors. The building and grounds crews have been very helpful in getting us settled in, and it will be quite the learning curve to leave fixing things to others, but we look forward to that!”
- Barbara Swinton
How are we doing?
St. John’s residents, their grateful family members, and even appreciative fellow employees have recognized DrewAsia with several Merit Grams over the past year. These testimonials describe her many contributions, both large and small.
“DrewAsia was our waitress,” wrote Anne and Betty after having dinner in the Briarwood Dining Room. “She was a lovely person. We all enjoyed having her help us.”
“Gracious—entertained us by singing,” wrote Timothy after a recent meal. “She made us feel special.”
DrewAsia’s beautiful singing voice—which she frequently shows off in the dining room upon request—was again on display this past Labor Day when she sang the National Anthem at a Rochester Red Wings game at Innovative Field!
Review a St. John’s community on Google or Facebook today! WATCH DREWASIA IN ACTION: stjohnsliving.org/meritable-moments
Back Home and Thriving: A Successful Rehabilitation Story
On the day that his wife’s rehabilitation stay at St. John’s Rehabilitation Center was set to end, Bill Crandall was shocked to learn that bringing her back home had become a viable option. This sudden reversal—due in large part to both the hard work his wife put into her rehab and the dedication and support provided by the St. John’s team—was a welcome surprise after weeks of uncertainty and setbacks.
By the middle of March, Crandall had been anticipating his wife Joyce’s discharge after 10 days at St. John’s Home. “I really just wanted to bring her home,” says Crandall. He explains that in the days leading up to discharge, instead of readying their Penfield home for her return, he had been researching assisted living options where she could continue her recovery.
While it was a pleasant surprise that Joyce Crandal, a retired Registered Nurse, would qualify for her family’s preferred option to return home on the day of her discharge, her husband
Bill says there were still mixed emotions. “You hated leaving, really. It is a really well-run facility from top to bottom,” said Bill Crandall about St. John’s Rehabilitation Center. “The staff gave her outstanding care.”
The Crandall family gives St. John’s Rehabilitation “5 stars” based on their experience earlier this year and has made it a point to recognize a few of the staff members who made her rehabilitation stay such a positive
one. Social worker Morgan Campbell, nurse Ashley Grant, certified nursing assistant Heidi Miller, and physical therapist assistant Sean Cignarale were all mentioned by name for their meaningful contributions to Joyce’s recovery.
“She came out so much stronger,” says Bill Crandall, of Joyce, who has now been home a few weeks. “I think she has flourished.”
START YOUR REHAB JOURNEY AT ST. JOHN’S: stjohnsliving.org/rehab
Longtime CNA Wins First Beckford Award
Ruth Ross has been a certified nursing assistant at St. John’s Home for over 43 years and has always been known for her compassionate approach—bringing peace and joy to the lives of residents she serves.
Ross was chosen as the inaugural recipient of the Jean Beckford Servant Leader Award. This yearly award has been setup in perpetuity by the family of Beckford, who was 20-year CNA at St. John’s.
“It is so clear that she is here for her residents, they are always her first priority,” read Ross’s nomination. “It is her calling to care for others who cannot care for themselves.”
Ruth Ross (center) surrounded by her loved ones and the family of Jean Beckford
Thank You
to the St. John’s Foundation
Highland Park Society
The following donors contribute $500 or more per year and are acknowledged as members of the Highland Park Society.
Alesco Advisors LLC
Ames Amzalak Memorial Trust
Ms. Mary Beauchamp and Mr. David Guadagnino
Ms. Mary Bigelow
Bison Elevator Service
The Bonadio Group
Ms. Elynore J. Booth
Ms. Sue Bovay
Mr. Mark C. Boylan
Break the Ice Media, Inc.
Mr. Peter W. Briggs
Buffalo Pharmacies
Ms. Irene M. Churukian
Ms. Carol Collins
Ms. Annette Connick
Mr. Roy H. Copeland
Ms. Theresa Daum
The Davenport-Hatch Foundation, Inc.
Ms. Ann C. DeFazio
Mr. Richard S. Dennison
Ms. Carolyn DiStasio
Dr. Ghinwa Dumyati
Ms. Adrienne Dykeman
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
EZaccessMD
Mr. Gregory J. Fichtner
Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Flint
G & C Foods
G&H Photonics
Gallagher
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Galloway
Ms. M. Lois Gauch
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Gears
Genesee Regional Bank
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Gould
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Halton
Ms. Helene A. Harmon
Harper Danesh LLC
HCR Home Care
HealthDirect Pharmacy Services
High Falls Advisors
Ms. Mary Louise Huff
Mr. Louis P. Iacona
Ms. Judith Kharbas
Mr. and Mrs. George Klee
Mr. David Kolczynski
Ms. Stephanie Krebbeks
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Krusenstjerna
Ms. Ann T. Landers
Mr. Joseph T. Lapczenski
Ms. Judith A. Lazenby
Mrs. Jennifer Lesinski
Liberty Health Supply/ Global Health Products
Ms. Dianne P. Lochner
Ms. Anna E. Lynch, Esq.
M/E Engineering
M&T Bank
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Maniloff
Mr. Wayne D. Martin
Mr. and Mrs. C. John Matteson
Mr. and Mrs. James H. McBride
Ms. Janet McElrath
Ms. Maureen McGuire
Mr. and Mrs. Sarsfield McNulty
Ms. Amy Menz
Messner Flooring
Ms. Ilene Montana
Mr. Dean Moore
Dr. and Mrs. Mahendra M. Nanavati
Mr. Paul M. Ness
Ms. Judith M. Norman
Ms. Barbara Nussmann
Frederick F. O’Connor Trust
Ms. Patricia Jaskot Parks
Pathfinder Engineers & Architects
Pike Residential
Dr. Rena Pine and Mr. William Faber
Postler & Jaeckle Corp
R-Options, Inc.
Radec Electric Corporation
RCare, Inc.
Mr. James G. Reed
Celebrating St. John’s Legacy
St. John’s is celebrating 125 years of serving the Rochester community. We are deeply grateful for generous gifts to St. John’s Foundation this Fall, many of them at $125 or more. Your gifts confirm that we can continue our legacy of caring for Rochester’s families for many more years to come.
If you have not made a gift to the Fall Appeal yet, there is still time.
Ms. Patricia A. Reynolds
Rochester Museum and Science Center
Mr. and Ms. Thomas I. Rossi
Mr. Harold Samloff
Mr. Wesley E. Saucke
Ms. Bridget Shumway and Mr. David Seconi
The Shumway Seconi Family Charitable Fund
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Ms. Rosemary Stancampiano
Ms. Stella Slaight
Dr. Heather R. Sobel and Dr. Darren A. Tabechian
Ms. Robin J. Spindler
Spindler Family Foundation
Mrs. Cheryl L. Steron
Mrs. June L. Stornelli
SWBR
Mr. David Tang and Dr. Olena M. Prokopovych
Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund, Inc.
Trinity Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Tucker
TY Electric Corp.
Underberg & Kessler LLP
United Way of Greater Rochester, Inc
Mr. and Mrs. Louis G. Visco
Mr. Trent M. Voelkl
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Wallace, Jr.
Westminster Barrington Foundation
Mrs. Gwendolyn Winagle
Mr. John Winkler
Ms. Janet and Mr. Tim Wixom
Rudolph & Rose Wollner
Charitable Trust
Ms. Julie Wood
Woods Oviatt Gilman
St. John’s is grateful to all who contributed to St. John’s Foundation from October 14, 2023 to October 11, 2024
Help Make the Dementia Resource Center a Reality
“Even though the respite program is just one day in the week, it makes a big difference in reducing stress,” says Barbara, an at-home caregiver for her husband living with dementia. “I am so much more relaxed, thanks to this program. It feels special, and that someone cares.”
Barbara’s husband attends St. John’s dementia respite program each week while she enjoys a few hours of respite and some time to herself. The dementia respite program is offered in collaboration with Lifespan of Greater Rochester and has operated in temporary space at St. John’s since 2023. The program welcomes six to ten caregivers and their loved ones each week.
While this successful pilot program is taking place, plans are to renovate the ground floor of St. John’s Home’s South Building to create a future, permanent dementia resource center that will offer dementia-specific training and counseling, a sensory room, a hands-on technology lab, smart kitchen, and a schedule of meaningful activities and events. PLEASE
The People You Meet at St. John’s
When you ask residents what they like most about living at a St. John’s community, you will hear a variety of answers.
Amidst the praises residents sing about the living spaces, the services, the amenities, and the programming they enjoy, there is one answer we hear most often. “It’s the people,” says St. John’s Meadows resident Pat Corcoran. “I’m fascinated by the diversity here. We’re all coming from different family backgrounds and histories, and I’m learning so much about other people’s lives that are totally different than mine.”
Harriet Weiss and Anna Krzanowicz
“I knew I didn’t want to be alone,” remembers Harriet about her decision to move to St. John’s Home in 2020 after a rehabilitation stay. Fortunately for her, she would almost immediately find herself a new best friend, just two doors down from her.
“Our thoughts are very much the same, but I learn a lot from her,” says Anna. Anna moved to Germany from Latvia during the Russian invasion when she was just 13 years old and after six years, she immigrated to America.
Harriet’s late husband Larry, who spent his last years at St. John’s, was a Holocaust survivor who left Germany for America around the same time as Anna. Harriet and Anna take pride in knowing that they share similar backgrounds from “the old country.”
“Our families are from the same area in the old country, and somehow both ended up here in Rochester,” says Harriet.
“We are more than friends—we’re family.” The two take a break from sharing sentimental remarks to avoid crying, as Anna says, “Oh, Harriet don’t you cry, I will cry too.”
The best friends say they share each other’s families. “I text Anna’s daughter more than she does,” says Harriet with a laugh. They say that having each other’s families in their lives makes them feel whole.
The well-known friends do everything together. “They call us Laverne and Shirley—from the show—everyone knows us, and it is nice to be known.”
“We have so many things in common to talk about,” says Anna. “It really is like fate,” adds Harriet, “and I couldn’t imagine being here without her.”
Ed and Therese Girard
Ed Girard is often seen bragging about his wife Terry and her ongoing project—a 3,000-piece LEGO mosaic of Mickey Mouse.
“It goes by color and number and Terry has her own system; she likes doing it,” explains Ed.
Terry was diagnosed with vascular dementia nearly three years ago, and since then Ed has been her caregiver. Ed describes how Terry suffered from a fall while gardening at their home of 50 years in Avon. “We decided to move here after that,” says Ed. The two now live at St. John’s Meadows.
Terry says she is used to working with her hands because of her past favorite activity of weaving on historic looms at the Genesee Country Village & Museum. Ed and Terry’s daughter Nadine gifted her mom the LEGO set following a caregiver event at Brickstone by St. John’s in 2023.
“As a caregiver, it is nice to see that she has something to do; I can take a break and read while she works,” Ed says. He is thrilled to know that Terry feels comfortable working on the mosaic by herself while he reads his detective stories.
Ed says that programs such as the caregiver event and the St. John’s Meadows Caregiver Support Group have helped him a lot in navigating his wife’s diagnosis.
“I like to read and do a lot of research about [dementia],” says Ed. “The group of us that meet share a lot of that information with each other, it is really nice to talk with them.”
Wilhelmina Henderson
“You are officially off of therapy. Congratulations.” Those words are always great for guests at St. John’s Rehabilitation Center to hear. It was even more gratifying for Wilhelmina Henderson to hear Morgan Dunn, a physical therapist assistant with whom she had worked with throughout her stay, confirm that her rehab had been completed ahead of schedule.
Wilhelmina’s October 2024 short-term rehabilitation stint at St. John’s was a planned one. After two previous knee operations, Wilhelmina knew she would require therapy and nursing support for a scheduled hip replacement surgery.
Wilhelmina’s surgery was performed on September 30 and after two days in the hospital she was transferred to St. John’s Home for rehabilitation. She was discharged back home on October 16, a couple of days earlier than initially expected. She credits the hard work she put in to meet and exceed therapy goals and the use of staff resources for “a little help” along the way.
“It was a good experience,” says Wilhelmina. “I think all of the staff here were phenomenal.”
150 Highland Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620
FIND INDEPENDENT LIVING TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE: stjohnsliving.org/IL
Light Up the Season for a Good Cause
You can honor or remember a loved one by dedicating a light at St. John’s this holiday season. A five dollar donation will illuminate a light as well as fulfill special requests for those residents who have limited personal financial means.
Gifts to the annual Illumination of Love have provided residents with new shoes, tablets, haircuts, adaptive clothing, and much more. Donors and honorees are welcome to join in the lighting and celebration on Sunday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. at St. John’s Home.
TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT stjohnsliving.org/IOL
St. John’s Living is going paperless in 2025; although subscribers have been receiving our award-winning e-newsletter and occasional e-news updates since 2018. If you are not already a subscriber, sign up to receive St. John’s news by email before December 31 and you will also be entered to win a special 125th anniversary prize package!
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