The WOMAN'S Christian Assn Home, also known as WCA Home, sat at 134 Temple Street in Fredonia, New York. This large Victorian house started caring for aging women way back in 1892, when local women set out to make a safe and caring place just for women, and over the years the place grew with new rooms and updated spaces, always keeping its original spirit and mission. The home could house up to 37 or sometimes 42 residents in private, fully furnished rooms with twin beds, end tables, lamps, dressers, mirrors, and linens, all with call bells to the nurse's station for help any time of the day or night, and it provided care like assistance with bathing, dressing, and medicine, as well as meals, housekeeping, and laundry. Staff handled daily needs-helping residents get to the bath, change clothes, transfer from bed to chair, and they did all this with a plan to keep everyone as independent as possible, but always ready to lend a hand if more support was needed.
Residents could get services for Assisted Living, Memory Care, and even some Skilled Nursing needs, so most people didn't have to leave if their health changed, and there were programs for respite care, hospice support, and even adult day health care. The kitchen served daily home-cooked meals with special diets for diabetes, low salt, and sugar, and staff gave support with eating if needed. Mental wellness programs, fitness activities, movie nights, music and art therapy, and planned events were all part of life, and religious services were available onsite and offsite, with outings to faith groups and community events. The home featured common rooms for reading or group games, a small library, a book room, a garden, outdoor sitting areas, a front porch with rocking chairs, and even a whirlpool bath to help with joints. There was a hair salon for regular "Pamper Days," plus a health room and safe indoor meeting areas, and rooms had cable TV and high-speed Wi-Fi so folks could stay in touch with friends and family.
WCA Home took care of a whole range of health and personal care needs, including help with diabetes, dietary changes, medicine, and transportation to doctor's visits with staff escorts if someone needed a hand getting around town. There was a security system, fire alarm with sprinklers, and even an emergency generator, which gave everyone some peace of mind, and the staff ran regular drills to make sure things worked right. The home's management kept things running as a not-for-profit connected to the Women's Christian Association, and there were 22 staff members. WCA Home was always up to date with state licensing for adult homes and assisted living, and had special approval to let folks "age in place," so people could stay longer without having to move to another facility. Over its many years, the home used some of its investment funds to cover financial losses, and at the end, there were no debts owed.
WCA Home closed as of January 2, 2023, after over a century of providing assisted living and caring for women in Fredonia. The building and its memories remain a part of the community's long history of looking after its elders.
