St Gerard's Community of Care sits as a non-profit, church-related place owned and run by the Sisters of St. Francis, where folks get support with daily needs like bathing, dressing, transfers, and all the small things that add up, and you see that the community goes above and beyond to keep everyone involved with social gatherings, resident-run events, and activities for every age group, since you'll also find a preschool and childcare center right on site, called the Child Care & Kinder Kollege, so young children and seniors cross paths and share a busy campus. The community offers daily Catholic mass, prayers, retreats, spiritual direction, and a resident Chaplain who also helps with services for denominations besides Catholic, and there are traditions like the Women of Prayer, horarium, and youth work that tie back to Franciscan spirituality and the Psalm of God's Providence.
There's a 37-bed skilled nursing unit for people needing more help, an Independent Living Wing for those able to take care of themselves but who want some extra support and connection, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and even Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) services all under one roof, so people don't need to move every time their needs change, and if you or a neighbor want to regain strength after a hospital stay there's orthopedic and sports physical therapy programs. Trained staff, including Certified Nurse Assistants from their own training program, provide 24-hour care with supervision, a call system, and help with medicine. The place also has a Director of Nurses named Kasey Brandenburger, RN, and the administrator Jill Foertsch, RN, works with a Board of Directors made up of sisters and community members, making sure people are cared for in both body and spirit.
On campus, residents find an emergency alert system, arts room, walking paths, gardens, movie nights, barber and salon, as well as shared transportation and parking, plus a secure portal for information, an Emergency Notification Plan, and Resident Notice of Privacy Rights. The Social Services and Recreation Director, Terry Bladow, along with others, keep the community busy and connected through media, news, and Giving Hearts Day or volunteer opportunities, and folks can email residents or look up job openings if they want to join the staff. St Gerard's holds a five-star Medicare rating thanks to steady leadership and staff service, and while the building's main focus is community care, you see that they've built connections across ages and faiths, with services and care types that meet a lot of needs as life changes. The facility has chosen to build on faith, care, and neighborly support, with opportunities for donating and being involved, yet what strikes you most is how it keeps everyone, young and old, in tune with daily living and spiritual life.
