Write a commentHundreds of people visited St. Francis Commons Assisted Living Residence during an Open House Oct. 12-13. Those attending toured the new residence and learned about the unique services and amenities to be offered to the community.
"It was wonderful to see such a great turnout for our Open House and a little overwhelming; for us, this only confirmed the level of interest our community has in assisted living and visitors had the opportunity to be among the first to see the results of our construction project," said Julie Chetney, senior living director at St. Francis Commons. "It is confirmation that our organization is on the right track in terms of introducing a new service to our community, and in the weeks ahead we will prepare to begin to welcome our first residents."
"Construction of St. Francis Commons took almost 11 months, commencing with our groundbreaking last November," said Karen Murray, executive director. "St. Francis Commons will be the only senior care residence in Oswego County offering New York State licensed Assisted Living Program services and amenities. The residence will provide supportive housing and care at a level that is less than a nursing home but more than may be found in an independent setting."
Services at St. Francis Commons will include three meals a day, housekeeping with linen and personal laundry services, scheduled transportation, social programs, assistance with personal care and medication management. A hair salon, gift shop, as well as cable television and telephone connections in each room are some of the amenities to be offered.
St. Francis Commons will accommodate 60 individuals in three "neighborhoods" within the residence. Private payment, Medicaid, private insurance reimbursement and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be accepted.
A 14-bed neighborhood within the new residence, Memory Care at St. Francis, will serve individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia-related illness, like Alzheimer's disease, who will benefit from a community-based living environment with specialized supportive services.
"Based on the feedback we received from folks we spoke with during the Open House, there is a real need in our community for the services we will be able to provide through our special care neighborhood," Chetney added. "What will make Memory Care at St. Francis a safe and unique experience for residents being served by this program will be our specially trained staff. A grant through the Gifford Foundation will enable us to partner with the Alzheimer's Association, Central New York Chapter, to provide education and training to our staff in the unique care needs of individuals with a dementia-related illness."
St. Francis Commons is hoping to begin welcoming residents within a few weeks.
"We are optimistic that all the required reviews necessary to operate the licensed programs at St. Francis Commons will be completed by mid-November," Murray said. "It really is a beautiful residence, but what will make the difference is the level of care folks will receive here."
The St. Francis Commons project is the latest phase in development on the St. Luke health-care campus. The campus consists of 15 acres and includes St. Luke Health Services, Bishop's Commons Enriched Living Residence and Little Lukes Childcare Center. Funding for construction of the $9.1 million dollar assisted living program residence included an $8 million dollar HEAL-NY grant through the New York State Department of Health. Additional financing for the project has been made available through Operation Oswego County, the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency, the New York State Housing and Community Renewal and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program, the City of Oswego's Office of Community Development, Pathfinder Bank and the St. Luke-John Foster Burden Fund.
For information about the resident application process, call St. Francis Commons at 315-326-0870 or visit them on the web atwww.stfranciscommons.com.
