Home Care In Masonic Home, KY

The Kentucky assisted living facility has more than 1,500 residents, and has been using social media to keep them connected to their families.

When the governor of Kentucky ordered nursing home and assisted living facilities to stop allowing visitors in response to the coronavirus pandemic, an assisted living facility in the state took to social media to share images of its residents enjoying their lives - at safe, social distancing distances - to help keep family members in contact with their loved ones inside the facility.

Residents at the Masonic Homes Kentucky in Shelbyville, Kentucky posed for photos doing a variety of activities with messages meant to let their loved ones know they were doing alright during the lockdown.

In one photo, residents of the assisted living facility can be seen lining a long hallway sitting at rolling desks with bingo cards. The bingo players are spread out through the hall to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

“Residents at Masonic Home Shelbyville are having fun while practising social distancing. Not only are they upstanding citizens, they are outstanding Bingo players, too,” a caption on the assisted living’s Facebook post read.

In one photo, a woman is holding up her bingo card next to a large whiteboard with the message “don’t worry about me, I’m playing bingo” written on it. The message is signed with a drawn heart and the word “mom.”

Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus

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Another photo shows a man and a woman, both on their phones in separate rooms.

“Here is your daily dose of positivity. Even though Dan and Charlene (who have been married for decades) can’t be together in person right now, they still talk on the phone with each other every day,” another Facebook post read.

Residents are even still going outside for fresh air and exercise. One photo shows a pair of residents outside on a walk.

The Masonic Homes Kentucky has been active in using its social media presence to keep the public updated on not only the activities of the residents, but its needs throughout the pandemic.

Last week, the page shared a photo of boxes of canned goods and toiletries dropped off at the facility by a family member of a resident. The supplies were meant for other residents who didn’t have the mobility to shop for themselves.

In addition to the social media posts, the facility’s staff has helped family and residents arrange “virtual visits” - video chats, primarily - to help keep families connected.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Masonic Homes Kentucky recently announced leadership changes including the promotion of Conjuna Collier to senior vice president of Risk Management. Masonic has also added Janie Cunningham as executive director and administrator at Masonic Home Shelbyville and Chanda Day in the role of Independent Living sales director.

Collier was recently promoted to senior vice president of Risk Management at Masonic Homes Kentucky. Collier has served as the executive director and administrator at Masonic Home Shelbyville since 2015.

In this new role, she will oversee all of Masonic’s risk management responsibilities including compliancy with state and federal regulations governing long-term care. Conjuna will be actively engaged at all of our health care communities. Although she will have an office at the Corporate Resource Center, she will continue her presence at every health care location.

“Anytime we can promote from within, we see it as a win-win for our employees and residents. Conjuna has a solid track record of increasing referrals, community involvement, teambuilding and professional development,” said Todd Lacy, president of Masonic Homes Kentucky. “Her involvement with the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities as chair of the Survey/Regulatory Compliance Committee will serve her well in this new opportunity.”

Janie Cunningham has joined Masonic Home Shelbyville as the new executive director and administrator. Cunningham brings more than 28 years of health care experience to her new role. Prior to joining Masonic, Cunningham served as the executive director of Bradford Square, Genesis Health Care Center for 7 years.

“Janie has been a pillar in the long term care profession for over 20 years,” Conjuna Collier, vice president of Risk Management at Masonic Homes Kentucky. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and track record for success and excellent quality of care.”

Under Cunningham’s direction, Bradford Square received the 2019 Facility Best of KY Award, 2019 and 2020 Quality Initiative Recognition from the American Health Care Association.

Masonic Homes Kentucky recently hired Chanda Day as its new Independent Living sales director. Day is charged with leading sales efforts for Masonic Homes Kentucky’s Meadow, Miralea and Village Active Lifestyle Communities.

“We are so excited to welcome Chanda to our team,” Casey Adams, vice president of Independent Living said. “We have such a unique product available to aging adults and Chanda brings strong experience in operations and sales to this position.”

Day completed a Bachelor of Science in accounting and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky. Prior to joining Masonic, Day served as Visitor Services manager at the Kentucky Derby Museum and Sales and Merchandise team manager at Macy’s Inc.

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Masonic Homes of Kentucky plans two new living facilities for seniors with nearly 200 additional units in all at its internally growing campus on Frankfort Avenue in Crescent Hill, despite limited access to the site that is the subject of a legal dispute.

The Louisville Metro Planning Commission approved plans on Thursday for The Meadow Independent Living complex, which will have 124 independent living units on 11 acres to the right of the entrance to the home off Frankfort, and Grove Pointe Assisted Living facility, which will have 72 assisted living units on 5.6 acres at the back of the campus, which borders St. Matthews on the east.

Neither project will cause the campus to exceed density limitations, Nicole Candler, a Masonic spokeswoman said. Both projects are "core to the Masonic Home's mission of serving the elderly" and providing a "continuum of care," attorney Cliff Ashburner, who represented the Masonic Home at the hearing, said. "Assisted living is the middle step."

No additional access was requested for either project, but attorney Bissell Roberts, who represented St. Matthews at the hearing, stated the city's continued opposition to providing more access through four streets on the east side leading to Chenoweth Lane.

"The Masonic Home has kept adding all these people," Roberts said at the hearing. Echoing the sentiment of some residents, too, Roberts said the city doesn't want home officials to come back later and say the addition of more facilities and more people justifies additional access. The home has full access through only its main entrance at 3701 Frankfort, with only emergency access allowed through Washington Square, one of the four streets.

Former Jefferson County Judge-Executive Todd Hollenbach, who lives on Washington Square, also reminded the commission that the outcome of a legal appeal involving access could have an affect on the situation, saying it's "critically important" to take that into account.

In July 2014, the Metro Planning Commission denied the Masonic Home's request for more access through Washington Square, Ormond Road and Leland and Elmwood avenues. The home, which has long sought additional access on the east side of the campus after selling off property on the north side for the Mockingbird Gardens subdivision, appealed the decision, and the case is pending in Jefferson Circuit Court.

At Thursday's hearing, a last minute change announced to forego hooking into a sewer line on Elmwood Avenue in St. Matthews for The Meadow project appeased residents who were opposed to the idea, including Julie Leake, who lives on Elmwood. She had planned to speak against the plan, saying there was already a "long history" of sewer problems on the street but thanked the Masonic Home instead.

MSD representatives said at the hearing that the line will be repaired regardless after Masonic Home representatives said an older pumping station on its campus would be moved and repaired so that the sewer line would go to Frankfort Avenue instead. The Grove Pointe project also will tie into a line going to Frankfort.

Tracy Evans, who lives on Ormond Road, also questioned whether everyone was notified adequately about the hearing, and commission chairman Vince Jarboe said the metro planning department should try to resolve the confusion. Evans said she doesn't oppose the home's mission, but "I want to protect the neighborhood from being detrimentally affected" now and in the future, if plans change.

Ralph Haeberlin, who lives on Elmwood, said looking down the road, he doesn't want the home "coming at us again" with more requests for greater access.

The home will need to go back to the Metro Board of Zoning Adjustment for additional approval of a few changes made to the plans after a modified conditional use permit was approved Feb. 1, as a result of questions raised by St. Matthews zoning officer Jack Ruf.

Grove Pointe will replace the historic St. John's Day League Infirmary building, which will be demolished, except for a few elements that will be saved. The front portico with columns will be moved to a site near The Olmsted event hall on the campus, as a place for weddings and other gatherings.

The St. John's building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, dates to about 1927, when the original Masonic Widows and Orphans Home moved from Old Louisville to the Frankfort Avenue site. A 30-day waiting period for a wrecking permit has expired.

New parking is planned for both projects, and a landscape buffer waiver involving a utility easement also was approved for The Meadow project. A height variance also was approved earlier to allow a maximum of 45 feet rather than 35.

The aim is to start construction on The Meadow at the end of 2017 and six months later on — Grove Pointe, with the intent of having both open in 2018, Candler said.

The Meadow will add to the independent living options available at the relatively new Mirealea complex on the campus. There's a waiting list for the Miralea and more than 200 people have already expressed interest in The Meadow, Candler said.

The Mirealea has been "phenomenally successful," Ashburner said.

Reporter Martha Elson can be reached at 502-582-7061 and [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @MarthaElson_cj.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Masonic Homes Kentucky has welcomed Rick Reeve to its team as senior vice president of development and fraternal relations. Reeve brings more than 25 years of experience in philanthropic management, major gifts, and endowment development.

During his career, he has served in various capacities for the Boy Scouts of America, including senior development director for the Lincoln Heritage Council Inc. in Louisville.

Reeve will oversee Masonic’s Mission Advancement department that raises funds to help provide a lifetime of care to aging adults and support for medically fragile children. Along with his focus on fund development, fiscal stewardship and special projects, Reeve will also serve as liaison to The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F.& A.M. and its nearly 350 lodges throughout the state.

Most recently, Reeve worked as county executive director for the USDA/FSA in Iowa. He is an active member of the community with involvement in the Boy Scouts of America, United Way, Rotary and Kosair Shriners, and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

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PsyD, MSW students will receive stipends to provide behavioral health services in medically underserved areas of Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Spalding University has once again received a grant of more than $1 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support advanced-level psychology and social work students who provide behavioral health services in integrated primary care settings in medically underserved areas of Louisville.

The $1,048,827 grant, which comes via the federal Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) program, will fund stipends over four years to Spalding students pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) or a master’s degree in social work (MSW). It continues BHWET support that Spalding has received since 2017 through the university’s Interdisciplinary Behavioral Health Scholars Program. The stipends assist in the recruitment and retention of future behavioral health professionals who do their training work in medically underserved areas.

Over the four-year cycle, a total of 36 Spalding PsyD and MSW students will provide assessments, counseling, addiction therapy and a range of other services at five Louisville health and wellness sites that also provide primary medical care. In addition to providing in-person services, the program aims to train students in and familiarize patients with the use of telehealth.

The practicum and fieldwork sites partnering with Spalding are Family Health Centers’ Iroquois, Portland and Southwest branches; the Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center; and the Smoketown Family Wellness Center. These sites also provide pediatric services and support at-risk youth, which is a focus of the Spalding program. The sites are located in parts of the community that have a shortage of behavioral health providers.

Spalding PsyD students selected for the program will receive $25,000 annual stipends, and MSW students will receive $10,000 stipends.

The HRSA grant also supports a faculty clinical coordinator and student supervisors. Dr. Sarah Shelton from the School of Professional Psychology will continue to serve as the clinical coordinator and PsyD supervisor. School of Social Work Assistant Professor Glynita Bell is the MSW supervisor.

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The demand is high for units at Masonic Homes of Kentucky, and the supply should come months sooner than expected as a result.

The Louisville senior living community had expected to start work early next year on The Meadow, which will add 122 apartment-style independent-living homes to the campus. But that's been moved up to Wednesday, Sept. 14.

Before the project could move forward, the community had to presell 75 percent of the new units — and that happened a lot sooner than leadership had originally expected.

According to vice president of communications and marketing Nicole Candler, the community already met that goal thanks to a well-performing marketing campaign. For example, she said Masonic Homes saw a "good response" from a series of seminars it held with prospective residents.

As a result, the community should be able to secure the bond-issue financing for this project and another one, which together will total a little more than $80 million. The Meadow was originally expected to open in mid-2018, but we're waiting to hear back on whether it's now expected to open sooner, although simple math would seem to point to that happening.

The Meadow project was originally expected to cost $66 million, but Candler said Tuesday the projection is now $44 million. She said a new construction manager has been brought on, resulting in "efficiencies and cost savings" because the project can be combined with another one.

Work on the other project, a 48-unit assisted-living community called Grove Pointe, is expected to begin in the next six months.

Last we heard, the 82-acre campus at 3701 Frankfort Ave. had about 560 independent-living, personal-care, skilled-nursing and memory-care units.

The Meadow would nearly double the Miralea community, which opened in 2012 with 90 apartment units and 12 patio homes. Meadow residents would have access to Miralea facilities, plus a movie theater, spa, beauty salon, an art studio and art gallery in the new building.

Both projects are being handled by development consultant Greystone; AG Architecture; engineering and planning consultant QK4; interior designers Reese Design Collaborative; and Paul Mattingly/Congelton Hacker Contractors.

Residents of The Meadow must be 62 or older. That community also will offer life care, which provides estate protection and helps offset the cost of potential future medical costs.