Dudley Square on the Episcopal Church Home (ECH) campus has raised its pulse in the past year because people are safely gathering more often. The Clubhouse was built from the ground up in 2021. The addition to the senior living patio homes neighborhood in Graymoor-Devondale fosters deep bonds and hosts a wide array of activities for the retirement community residents.
In fact, two big benefits happened during the autumn of 2021 for residents of the Dudley Square patio homes: The clubhouse opened, and Gry Seymour was hired as the community’s life-enrichment coordinator.
Five-year Dudley Square resident Gordon Ragan calls the clubhouse “the glue that brings a lot of people together,” with events like book clubs and bridge games. There also are film nights, exercise classes, and discussion groups. One chat group attracts mainly men and has dipped into topics ranging from marriage to politics to individuals’ careers—even grandchildren and being widowers.
“The weekly social hour and dinner is a marvelous activity,” Ragan says about another big event. He said the food prepared by Chef Tim Knight, director of dining services, is excellent. “We’re fortunate we have a marvelous chef,” Ragan said.
The ECH campus is also blessed to have the energetic and loving presence of Gry, and he said.“We’re increasingly grateful to what Gry brings to the table.... She is providing social and recreational activities at a level that we’ve never experienced before.”
“It is a point of gathering, creating community together. And I think that’s very important,” Seymour said.
The Clubhouse at Dudley Square provides a perfect place for residents to gather and celebrate occasions like the running of the Kentucky Derby.
In the spring, “We had, for the first time ever in the Clubhouse, an official Derby party,” she said. “That was really lovely. That was fun. A lot of the ladies brought their beautiful hats and their fascinators.”
“I love creating relationships,” said Seymour. “I love to support our residents and also get to know them and have relationships.”
One reason Dudley Square is fun, she said, is, “This isn’t a place where old people come to live. This is a place where people who are in their older years are coming to continue living and doing fun things and educational things. Things that matter.”
She calls the clubhouse “the beating pulse and heart of Dudley,” where she has her office and where residents can host dinners, clubs, or parties. They also can hang out with fellow residents.
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The activities calendar includes options for engaging with neighbors — book clubs, bridge, fitness, learning events, social hour, coffee hour, and many more.
The social events feature tasty treats from Chef Tim Knight, director of dining services at Episcopal Church Home. He wins raves for his excellent food. The gourmet creations taste not only delicious, but they also look fantastic! He outdoes himself again and again.
The Clubhouse is also available to residents of Dudley Square for private parties.
Bryan Reynolds, ERS’ vice president of marketing and public relations, notes that in addition to the gathering areas and Gry's office, the clubhouse also has a wellness room with exercise equipment for residents to maintain their health and a small library area that’s continuously being updated with books of interest.
Out back, there’s a nice patio area and fire pit—another area to chat or share meals—Reynolds says.
Chef Tim Knight, director of dining services at Episcopal Church Home, wins raves for his |
The gourmet creations taste not only delicious, but they also look fantastic! He outdoes himself again and again. |
The beautiful spaces inside and outside the Dudley Square Clubhouse create an elegant setting for Dudley Square resident events.
More to Love about Dudley Square
Aside from friendships, recreation, and maintenance-free living, there’s also another significant aspect to CCRCs like ECH.
Because Dudley Square is part of ECH, “when people need additional care, they get the priority of those care settings over the people in the broader community,” Reynolds said.
The ECH campus provides several levels of care for aging adults as their health needs change. ECH has a multi-generation reputation in the Louisville market for high-quality care.