The safety and security of a homelike environment for the holidays at The Village of St. Edward in Wadsworth

By Patricia Nugent

Like the song says, there’s no place like home for the holidays. And there’s no place like The Village of St. Edward to call home.

This month, the busy staff and residents have been decking their halls and gearing up for Christmas with activities, contests and special crafts galore.

“Putting the trees up always puts us in a festive mood for the season,” says Megan Bright, corporate director of marketing and sales at the faith-based, not-for-profit facility. “Our staff is doing everything it can to bring joy to residents’ lives. Unlike last year, this holiday season our residents can have cherished visits with their families, which makes everything better.”

Just-like-home, year-round amenities at the facility include a salon, fitness center, restaurant-style dining, four charming courtyards, a 24-hour personal emergency pendant system and nurse on duty, weekly housekeeping, weekly laundry of linens, room service if needed and chauffeured transportation to doctor appointments and shopping.

‘Twas the Month Before Christmas

Just coming off a busy fall that included a wild Halloween Party with bobbing for apples and a costume contest, Resident Life Director Ashley Watson reports they are having a bustling November, which kicked off with an amazing visit from the Swenson’s food truck.

“Our staff likes to have a ball with the residents,” she says. “On Thanksgiving morning, we will dress up in big blowup costumes and throw our own version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, slowly weaving around the halls of our building. We’re also having a special Black Friday sale.”

Christmas promises memories in the making as well. On Christmas Eve they will gather around a roaring fireplace, enjoy a hot cocoa bar, decorate cookies and read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

“A hysterical game we played last year that we plan to reprise is Reindeer Hunting,” she adds. “The staff dress as reindeer and run throughout the building and the residents shoot them with Nerf guns.”

Gathering Around the Table
Ask anyone what they love most about this season, and invariably they’ll answer, “the food.”

The creative chefs at The Village recognize that and go above and beyond in planning the flavors of home, including all the trimmings for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

“For Christmas Eve, we’re doing beef tenderloin, fire-roasted mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts with bacon and honey, topped off with peppermint cheesecake for dessert,” says Dining Services Director Amy Irwin. “We’re also throwing a made-to-order breakfast with homemade sticky buns on Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings.”

Here’s What Residents and Their Families are Saying
The reviews for The Village of St. Edward are in and they’re five-star. Here are just a few:

“This week my mom, who is in independent living, needed some assistance. I cannot say enough good things about the staff there. So many people have helped in so many ways. We are so blessed to have this beautiful facility in our community. Thank you for choosing Wadsworth and for all of the wonderful staff at The Village,” says Pam D.

Sometimes being a Catholic-based facility is important. Take, for instance, Yvonne, whose sister is very religious. That was an initial selling point, then after she moved in, she fell in love with the place for more reasons. “The staff has been fantastic in helping my sister transition. They have encouraged her to take part in activities to make sure right off the bat that she knew different options were available to her. My sister wears an alert around her neck or wrist. If she falls or anything happens, she can just alert them and that makes her feel safe and secure. They have a nice balance of keeping an eye on her, but not smothering her or limiting her or mothering her. If she needs somebody, they’re there in heartbeat.”

Is It Time For Senior Living?
For many families, the holidays might be the only time of year adult children come home. That makes it the ideal juncture to evaluate your senior parents’ living situation.

“Within our three levels of care—independent, assisted living and memory care—we cater to our residents’ physical, spiritual and social needs,” says Megan Bright, corporate director of marketing and sales for The Village of St. Edward. “What we usually hear from residents once they move here is that they wish they hadn’t waited so long.”

Getting the timing right can be tricky. Megan and her staff report there are usually signs to watch for that your loved one might be ready.

“For independent care, the social aspects are paramount,” she says. “People often come here after living alone and becoming socially isolated. Maybe they just lost a spouse. Even if they have children in town, they only see them once a week or less. They might be spending most of their time sitting in front of the television. We recommend asking your parents how often they go out and engage with others.”

The Village of St. Edward offers numerous clubs, activities and programming to keep seniors active, vibrant and thriving. At mealtimes and during any given visit, you’ll find residents hanging out together in the lobby, dining areas or courtyards.

“Seniors fear losing independence,” she says, “but they find after moving here that they actually feel more independent, interacting with others while free from worrying about maintaining their home.”

For assisted living, the physical and safety concerns are at the forefront.

“You might notice your mom or dad is becoming feeble, and shouldn’t be going up and down stairs,” she says. “They could be a fall-risk, which opens the door to broken bones and hospitalizations. They also might need help with daily living tasks.”

With memory care, folks who might be showing early warning signs of dementia include things like misplacing items, having trouble solving problems or balancing their checkbook, letting their appearance slip or experiencing sudden mood swings.

Since parents can be stubbornly against moving, how you frame “the talk” is important.

“It’s a good idea to make your parent feel like they an important part of the decision-making process,” she says. “That you understand their feelings and that you’re all in this together. Once they start touring places with you and seeing how much fuller their lives could be, they’ll be more amenable to the transition.”

The Village of St. Edward has three locations. In Wadsworth, the address is 880 Main Street, and phone number is 234-217-8735. There are 50 one- and two-bedroom suites in independent living, 29 one-bedroom and studio units in assisted living and 28 memory care studios for a total of 107 units. In Fairlawn, the address is 3125 Smith Road, and phone number is 330-668-2828. In Green, the address is 3813 Fortuna Drive, and phone number is 234-294-0010. There are no long-term contracts and residents will not be asked to leave if they run out of funds. Pets under 20 pounds are allowed. For more information, or to schedule a live tour, go to VSECommunities.org.