For nearly a century and a half, Louisville seniors and their families have looked to the Episcopal Church Home for quality, person-centered retirement care. And the care that we've provided has been due in no small measure to the generosity of donors like you.
Thanks to advances in modern medicine, people are living longer lives. And that's a wonderful development. However, as a result, many seniors are unfortunately outliving their financial resources, leaving them to worry about how they will afford to live out their remaining years in comfort and security.
Thankfully, at The Episcopal Church Home (ECH), we promise elders and their families that no resident will ever be asked to leave due to financial hardship. And our donor-supported Promise Fund is a vital source of funding that helps us sustain that commitment.
What is the Promise Fund?
The Promise Fund is an annual, donor-driven program that provides financial aid to ECH residents who, through no fault of their own, can no longer afford their monthly living expenses.
First and foremost, it provides direct rent support to those folks, giving Louisville seniors and their family caregivers the peace of mind of knowing that they'll always have a home for life.
That's a significant expense, totaling over $1 million a year. As a not-for-profit retirement care provider, we continually re-invest in our residents' care and in our community, and your financial support helps us to do that.
But the Promise Fund goes beyond simply paying seniors' retirement community rent. It also supports seniors' costs of maintaining a positive quality of life as they age.
How?
It covers the activities of daily living and necessary items not supported by Medicare or Medicaid, including, but certainly not limited to:
- Laundry services
- Vision care and eyeglasses
- Hearing care and hearing aids
- Pastoral care
- Life enrichment opportunities, including group outings and in-house social events at ECH
- Transportation
- Barber and beauty shop visits
All these help our residents to live fulfilled lives while maintaining their dignity and self-esteem. Happy, fulfilled seniors are more likely to be emotionally and spiritually resilient.
Not only do we believe that's just as important to their physical health as access to quality, person-centered medical care, we believe that continued fulfillment and dignity are what our elders deserve!
One ECH resident's story
Anne V. and her husband, Jack, have been residents in our Dudley Square neighborhood since 2005. And, in that time, Anne has witnessed the difference that ECH's person-centered care model has made in seniors' lives — including her own.
"At my age, I sometimes feel like I’m invisible in the world because everything is geared toward younger,
vital people," she wrote. "At ECH, I receive care and attention beyond my expectations."
"Take a walk around our campus and you will see the smiling faces of residents who feel happy, safe, and secure," Anne observed. "Everyone, from our nurses to our housekeepers, loves what they do and it shows in their work."
Indeed, the donor-supported Promise Fund helps us to ensure that our team members are as knowledgeable and passionate about senior care as possible.
Every year, the Promise Fund provides thousands of dollars in scholarships to ECH staff members pursuing professional development opportunities, including advanced degrees and certifications.
This critical support guarantees that our residents receive care from some of the most talented, dedicated professionals in Kentuckiana and helps us to maintain our century-old reputation of being one of Louisville’s premier retirement communities.
Here, Anne said, residents aren't clients. They're "like family members."
"A while back, I was diagnosed with cancer, and during that time the staff tended to my every need," she remembered. "It’s hard when you don’t have your family around you, but I knew I would get through it because I had my ECH family to care for me."
"We are a kind-hearted community and everyone is part of the family," Anne observed. "We feel vital, important and loved".
Will you help us keep our promise?
Click here to donate to the Promise Fund, and help Episcopal Church Home to continue providing the care and services that Kentucky and Southern Indiana seniors and their families have relied on us to provide for over 135 years.
If you're interested in reducing your 2017 tax obligation, ECH is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and donations made to the Promise Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
On behalf of our residents, staff and Episcopal Retirement Services partners, thank you for considering making an end-of-year contribution to the Promise Fund. We appreciate your continued support!
