Now Open: Dudley Square patio homes in Louisville's Graymoor-Devondale area.

The 25 new Dudley Square III patio homes on the Episcopal Church Home campus in Louisville sold out in July.

But people still can join the wait-list for the 87 total patio homes on the 22-acre campus in the suburban Graymoor-Devondale neighborhood, says Community Relations Director Elizabeth Pace. All but two already have moved in.

A greater sense of community

“Our sense of community is already up and running,” Pace said, with new residents attending social hours and events at the clubhouse.

The Dudley III patio homes, which were built as part of Episcopal Church Home’s campus-wide $20 million Master Plan that transformed the entire Episcopal Church Home campus, features the latest amenities, including upgrades with state-of-the-art appliances, two-car garages and open floor plans that allow many decorating options.

“They’re bright and airy, with a spacious feel that results from the sunrooms and peaked ceilings,” Pace said. “As we progress toward a younger population moving into retirement communities, there is more of a request for an upscale and modern feel for a home.”

The Dudley III homes have other popular features, such as digital entry into the home and garage, reducing the need for keys. They also have large, 120-square-foot, walkable and lighted attic spaces, which are important for those who have difficulty downsizing or have seasonal decorations.

Episcopal Church Homes offers services to people who need help getting those items in and out of their attics.

RELATED BLOG: MASTER PLAN CREATES A NEW VIBE AND BEGINNING FOR PERSONAL CARE AT EPISCOPAL CHURCH HOME

Quite a few of the original Dudley III buyers were able to make personal modifications to their home. These included fireplaces, handcrafted bookshelves, screened-in patios, and customized closets.

The newest area of patio homes “is friendly and inviting, with landscaping that welcomes you to each front porch,” Pace said.

The biggest feature of Dudley I, II and III is everybody knows somebody who has been touched by the Episcopal Church Home, Pace said: “There’s not really been anybody who has moved in who does not already know somebody, and the reputation we have. Their shared experiences keep Episcopal Church Home and Dudley Square thriving with community.”

The Dudley Square III homes were a result of the Master Plan for the campus, which took a fresh look at the needs and desires of older adults and their families today, as opposed to 20- or 40 years ago, and made changes across the campus based on that. 

Enjoying the newest part of the community

Some of the earliest Dudley Square III residents were the Rev. Lynn and the Rev. Eugene “Gene” March.

“We are very happy to be in Dudley Square,” said Lynn March, a Dudley Square resident for more than a year. “We love having the community of retired people around us. Everybody knows everybody. It’s unlike a neighborhood I’ve ever been in, where I might have known somebody on the right of me, the left of me and behind me. Here, we know almost everybody, because they’re friendly, and they come to various gatherings.”

Also, “We enjoy having the activities,” she said. “We can choose to go to them, or not.”

Gene appreciates “the convenience of it,” he said. “When we do go out, we can go to restaurants, or go shopping, very easily.”

The quiet, upscale Westport Village is literally across the street, with its restaurants, sports bars and boutiques, in addition to other entertainment and eating options that are nearby.

“It’s a great location,” Lynn said. “There are two easy ways to get on the closest expressway.”

While Dudley III patio homes are the newest, Dudley I, which were built during the 1990s, and Dudley II homes, constructed in the mid-2000s, also have their fans.

Dudley I homes are the more traditional ones, with hardwood floors, fireplaces and mature trees.

Some who had been on the wait-list for Dudley I and II homes for years selected newly built homes so they could move in immediately, Pace said.

“We are looking at a younger population planning earlier,” she said. “They want to be able to live their life, and not have to worry about anything (such as home maintenance),” she added. “They want to travel the world, visit their children and grandchildren.”

With the growing wait-list for Dudley Square, ECH will be offering the opportunity for its wait-listers to visit and participate in social hours and clubhouse activities. That way, when a home becomes available, they will already be a part of the community and the decision to move may be easier.

Other recent upgrades on the campus

• Lyndon House, the Personal care household at Episcopal Church Home, is now open and accepting residents to the new, beautiful living spaces at the premier retirement community. It's the first time the campus has had apartment-style living, which offers a more relaxed, far less institutional feel than before.
• Morton House, one of the earliest areas transformed by the Master Plan, was completely renovated. Its skilled-nursing wing, now known as the Clingman neighborhood, has 13 apartments for those living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and 13 apartments for those with physical challenges. The other side of Morton House, now known as Marmion, has 26 apartments dedicated to memory care.
• A new clubhouse, featuring gathering spaces, an outdoor grill and a library, has greatly helped create a sense of community among all the Dudley Square residents.
• A beautiful amenity garden was created. It has tranquil walking paths.
• New walker-friendly passageways lead to St. Luke’s Chapel from Morton House.
• The Shoppe, operated by the ECH Women's Board, has opened. It's a convenient place to buy things such as jewelry and gift items, combs, brushes, Kleenexes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo.

When you live independently in the Dudley Square patio homes on the Episcopal Church Home campus, you can throw private parties in the Clubhouse with gorgeous foods like this.

Intelligent neighbors, with a variety of interests

The Marchs both are Presbyterian ministers. He is the retired dean of the prestigious Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where he taught for 23 years. One advantage of living on the Episcopal Church Home campus is the proximity to St. Luke’s , which has no steps for Gene to walk up.

There were many steps at their usual Presbyterian church, so they attend services at St. Luke’s, “and we’re very happy with it,” Lynn said. She even has preached there, to provide respite for the regular chaplain.

While Episcopal Retirement Services, which operates ECH, is a faith-based non-profit organization, people don’t need to be Episcopalian – or Christian – to live or work there. In fact, both entities encourage diversity of all types, including religions.

The Marchs love watching big-screen movies at the clubhouse.

Also at the clubhouse, Lynn began hosting a group to enjoy the Chinese tile game, mah-jongg, with people from outside Episcopal Church Home she played with previously, “but now we have three of the Dudley Square members who are playing,” she said.

Pace said the new Dudley III residents have quickly woven themselves into the rest of the Dudley Square community, with good turnouts for book clubs and group activities, including happy hours, social hours, and other events where they can be more mindful and social, using their brains, because many residents have been professors, lawyers and others who led businesses and don’t hesitate to share their opinions.

Moving in and looking to the future

The Marchs see several other advantages to living on the Episcopal Church Home campus, including if their health needs change.

A significant benefit of living in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) like ECH is they offer a spectrum of health services, including personal care, memory care, long-term care, skilled nursing or short-term rehab. When people pay an Entrance Fee to move into a Dudley Square home, that gives them priority over people from the outside world for those increased services.

“We like the fact that if we become incapacitated, there are other levels that we have preference in moving in to,” Lynn said.

RELATED BLOG: ECH NAMED BEST LOUISVILLE-AREA NURSING HOME 

Another bonus is Dudley Square residents who need short-term rehabilitation can receive it without leaving their homes, Pace said.

Also, if a spouse needs a few days’ break from being a care partner, their loved one can be cared for at Episcopal Church Home while the spouse gets away, Pace said.

And, “If we wanted meals brought to us, we have a wonderful chef, so that’s available to us,” Lynn added. “We’ve not used it, but it’s there. There’s so much there that we can use, and we love the staff.”

“Every staff member we’ve met is top-top-notch, beginning with Elizabeth Pace and Gry Seymour, and Jomiya Coleman and Beverly Edwards – all of them,” Lynn said. ”We’re happy with people who take care of us in various ways.”

“We have no complaints – none whatsoever,” Lynn said.

Click below to learn about Memory Care at Episcopal Church Home.