Lutheran Home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, has been around since 1906 and offers care for seniors with various needs, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and hospice, and they've got 160 certified beds for residents. The facility is a non-profit, run by Kathryn Cavers since February 2012, and is staffed by nurses and therapists who help every day, with nurses on-site for 8 hours each day and staff awake around the clock for supervision and help. They keep nurse staffing at about 4.39 nurse hours per resident per day, and nurse turnover's around 31.1%. The staff helps with daily activities such as moving from bed to wheelchair, diabetic care like blood sugar checks, managing medications, incontinence care, and special diets including kosher, vegan, and gluten-free, and they offer meals, often served restaurant-style by professional chefs, to make eating easier for everyone and have dining programs for all sorts of needs. People aged 55 and older can live here, and they offer extra hospice and palliative care for those with serious illness, making sure families have support, including emotional, spiritual, and end-of-life planning.
Lutheran Home has a medical director, a team of doctors who focus on geriatric and memory care medicine, and runs programs for both adults and children, which sometimes brings generations together through activities with the Children's Center. Services include post-acute rehab, short-term rehab with therapy, adult day programs like Mind Effects, and memory care designed for those living with Alzheimer's or dementia. The facility's staff includes therapists that stay with residents during their time, and they have volunteering opportunities with groups like Lutheran Home Auxiliary. There are structured activities every day-exercise, music, art, community outings, recreational and pet therapy, games, and a chapel with bible studies and spiritual support, often with an on-site chaplain. There's also an art and music seasons studio, and a gallery and tours for folks thinking about moving in. Lutheran Home offers landscaped gardens, walking paths, a gazebo, a private courtyard, and swings, and all rooms are private with features such as Wi-Fi, cable or satellite TV, air conditioning, accessible bathrooms and showers, and wheelchair access.
Lutheran Home does face some challenges, and inspectors have found deficiencies in areas such as infection control, nutrition, accident prevention, supervision, dietary standards, and keeping areas free of hazards, so there have been some issues over the years to work on. Still, the facility tends to be open about these matters, and they keep working towards improvements. The community tries to keep residents active and safe while offering personalized care, whether it's help with daily life or support for memory loss, and there's always a focus on overall well-being and dignity. They've earned recognition like Top Workplace and US News Best Nursing Home awards, and hold a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but what people usually notice is a facility with a long history that creates connections between generations. Lutheran Home supports seniors, their families, and the wider community with a focus on safety, wellness, and comfort.
