Although restrictions remain in place, the staff at Generations Senior Living is pulling out all the stops for residents this holiday season

Gen Welcome 1220
On December 10 and 16, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., Generations Senior Living is honoring its annual family Christmas celebration with a drive-thru event.

By Patricia Nugent

Helping shape the landscape of senior care in Cleveland, Robert M. Coury founded Generations Senior Living Communities over 50 years ago based on his passion for meeting the physical, emotional and social needs of seniors, and treating people like family. His legacy lives on today, with locations in Strongsville and Berea.

“Not many communities as large-scale as ours are second generation and family-operated,” says Vice President, Phillip Coury.

“Most are corporate-owned, and the management staff is located in another state. Our Generations management team lives locally and are available every day. That feeling of continuity translates to our mission.”

The Generations Senior Living Communities ownership and management team includes, from L-R: Michael Coury, Robert Nedrich, Kimberly Bergmann, Joseph Coury, Jay Coury and Phillip Coury.

Holiday Party Time
“During these challenging times, we appreciate the importance of socialization in relation to how well our residents thrive,” says Kimberly Bergmann, Regional Marketing Director. “We’ve had to really think outside the box with to create safe, socially distanced programming and events.”

The communities kicked off the holidays early with a Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin roll grab-and-go event on Thursday, November 19.

The communities kicked off the holidays early with a Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin roll grab-and-go event on Thursday, November 19.

“Partnering with other local sponsors, we were able to give away more than 100 turkeys to local seniors, who safely drove through our socially distanced pick up,” says Kimberly. “Since the local senior centers are closed, it was a fun way for us to spread some holiday cheer.”

Indoor shenanigans orchestrated by the ultra-creative activity director include a stuffed “turkey drop” game. “The residents loved watching the toy turkeys being dropped from the third floor, with prizes awarded for which target the turkeys landed on,” she says.

On December 10 and 16, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., they are honoring their annual family Christmas celebration with a drive-thru event.

“Residents’ families with reservations can take a festive drive through our lighted path and enjoy Christmas music while our team passes out dinner for two and a bottle of wine, along with a holiday surprise gift,” she says. “We are also live-streaming the event so residents can see everyone come through.”

In addition to the many events, Kimberly reports that tours and move-ins have also looked very different this year, but they’ve been able to meet the needs of people through customized virtual tours, video chats, emails and telephone calls.

“We also do our best to keep people connected to their families through scheduled visits, FaceTime calls and our own creation—Sunshine Mail. Sunshine mail allows family and friends to send a note, picture or message at any time through our website. These notes are printed on colorful themed pages and personally hand delivered by our dedicated team.”

Sunshine mail allows family and friends to send a note, picture or message at any time through our website. These notes are printed on colorful themed pages and personally hand delivered by the dedicated Generations team.

Steve Kravek’s Story: Like Family Every Step of the Journey
Generations Senior Living’s caring staff and management provide caring, joy and comfort to residents and their families along their journey here.

Meet Steve Kravek. His family’s story in their own words:

“I have nothing but praise for Generations, its management, staff, and facilities. As you can imagine, convincing a parent that it is no longer safe for them to live alone is not an easy task. Just broaching the subject of moving to my Dad, after living in his home for 55 years, was an extremely delicate conversation. After seeing the facility and having the opportunity to meet with Kristen and a current resident, he started to see the true value.

In our initial meeting, I remember them saying how Generations is a ‘family.’ I quickly came to realize that this is true. From entering the building, there was Kayla [staff member], a woman who (somehow) was always happy and cheerful. After a while, she came to know me by sight and greeted me by name. Even on the phone, she would always ask me how my Dad was doing. You can’t imagine the feeling of family that simple question means to the relative of a resident.

Steve Kravek (1926-2020)

The nursing staff and aides are another example of ‘family’ care. Over the last several months Kim Bolen [Director of Nursing] was especially helpful in allowing me to keep up with my father’s condition. She encouraged me to contact her or her staff to ask questions or provide updates on my Dad when he was at Southwest General Hospital.

On days I did not call Kim or her staff with an update on my Dad usually resulted in me receiving a call from them! THAT is service. THAT is caring. THAT is FAMILY.

My father passed away on September 27. Kristen Kessler [Community Relations Director] visited our family at the funeral home. This was ironic as she was in the room with the rest of his family. I sincerely appreciated her visit.

I guess the best thing to say in conclusion was that I made the absolute best decision I could possibly make to encourage my father to move to Generations. While the year was extremely difficult, especially with the limitations inflicted on all by Covid-19, I can truly say my Dad was cared for by members of his ‘family’ and I thank you all for that.” ~ Steve Kravek’s Family

Spacious Suites, Gourmet Food
“Once people move into Generations, they can say goodbye to all the responsibilities of maintaining their homes and enjoy the most out of life,” says Kimberly.

The 94 spacious apartments in the Berea location and 76 in the Strongsville location boast kitchens with full-sized appliances, making it easy for residents to create their own meals. When they prefer a scrumptious homemade meal cooked by someone else, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the dining room.

Once people move into Generations, they can say goodbye to all the responsibilities of maintaining their homes and enjoy the most out of life.

While daily activities continue with safe health practices in place, Kimberly says they look forward to once again exploring the local communities with outings including area shopping trips, restaurants and day trips to places like the casino and Amish Country.

Generations Senior Living Communities are located at 18960 Falling Water Road, in Strongsville, and 4 Berea Commons, in downtown Berea. Short-term and respite care are also available. Small pets are welcome. For more information or to schedule a virtual visit of the facilities, in Berea, call 440-243-9050, in Strongsville, call 440-238-3600. Visit GenerationsHCM.com or check out their Facebook and Instagram pages for more information.

Categories: Westside Smart Living