Innovative, quality, person centered care—this is the story of Episcopal Retirement Homes.

Our History.

Episcopal Retirement Homes began its journey to preeminence among Cincinnati retirement communities more than 60 years ago.

In May, 1951, 10 church elders and charitable ladies joined together with the common goal to establish and administer Christian homes for the aged, and so the Memorial Homes Foundation was born.

Initially, the Foundation’s services were limited to the care of some 20 ladies housed in a private home known as the Bishop Theodore Irving Reese Home in Clifton. 

That all changed with Marjorie P. Lee. 

As one of the founding trustees of the Reese home, Mrs. Lee had a heart for the welfare of older adults and dedicated both time and money to improving the quality of senior living.  Upon her death, her husband, Charles S. Lee announced his intention of donating a home in memory of his beloved wife. In 1963, construction was completed on a community that could accommodate 60 residents in heart of Hyde Park.

During his lifetime, Mr. Lee continued to assist in the development of the Memorial Homes Foundation operations and maintenance.  In addition to the new building, he also provided for the generous endowment fund stipulation stating that future income was to be paid to Memorial Homes Foundation.

Who We Are.

With over half a century of expansion and a name change in 1985, the Memorial Homes Foundation (now Episcopal Retirement Homes) continues to improve the quality of senior living. We have become a leader in quality retirement communities and innovative elder care services both in Cincinnati and across the United States.

It is our mission to enrich the lives of older adults in a person-centered and spiritually based way.

We believe in giving older adults the dignity and freedom of making their own choices and to approach each day on their own terms.  The result is a truly remarkable experience among retirement communities—a place where seniors can enjoy their later years with freedom, choice and purpose.

As a not-for-profit Episcopal Retirement Homes doesn’t pay profits to owners and shareholders.  We place all our attention on the enrichment of our residences and their residents, reinvesting 100% of our money back into the development of our communities.

What We Stand For.

Our person-centered care is driven by a desire to exceed normal care giving practices and enables staff to interact with residents on a higher level of empathy and understanding.  All of our residents, in all of our programs—from independent living apartments to our nursing care facilities—have a say in their own experience and daily routines.  Residents choose when to wake up in the morning and when to go to bed at night, when to eat their meals, when to bathe and get dressed, and what activities to participate in each day. ERH has gone to great lengths to replace the traditionally institutional atmosphere with all of the comforts of home.

Beyond Retirement Communities.

In addition to our premier retirement communities, Episcopal Retirement also owns or manages eight affordable housing communities for low-income seniors and operates in-home services.  Our Living Well Senior Solutions program provides geriatric care management.  We deliver 75,000 Meals on Wheels annually and provide counsel and support to 80 churches to renew their role in healthcare through the advocacy, education and wellness programs of Parish Health Ministry.

But we’ll talk more about the history and evolution of these communities and services in upcoming entries on our blog.

We Are Episcopal Retirement Homes.

We are committed to gracious senior living. 

With some of the lowest turnover rates in the country, our experienced staff is dedicated to providing quality person-centered care, and the Medicare ratings for our care centers are consistently among the best in the industry.

At Episcopal Retirement Homes, we’re proud of our history of serving the needs of seniors across southern Ohio.  

From our earliest days caring for 20 women in a single home to becoming a conglomeration of communities and many independent services, we will always strive to ensure that older adults are treated with dignity and respect—and as the unique individuals they have always been.