Grace Assisted Living Center Opens in Moorestown, New Jersey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather Kato
Annual Giving & Marketing Manager
(609) 699-4139

A formal Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place on Thursday, November 5, 2009 for the Grand Opening of Grace Assisted Living Center, located on the campus of Lutheran Care at Moorestown (LCM). Representatives from Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, Lutheran Care at Moorestown and various officials representing the many organizations involved in the project participated in cutting the ribbon.

MOORESTOWN – Friday, November 6, 2009 – Marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting, Lutheran Care at Moorestown opened the doors of its newest addition to its campus, Grace Assisted Living Center, on Thursday, November 5, 2009.  The much anticipated opening was greeted with warm smiles and enthusiasm from the Center’s newest residents, their family members, staff members and executives, as well as Moorestown township officials.  The ribbon cutting also symbolized the formal re-opening of the recently renovated and historic Breidenhart Castle, which sits stately nestled on the front of Lutheran Care’s campus.

Grace Assisted Living Center is the new home of 46 assisted living apartments for those requiring supportive services and compassionate care.  The Center’s charmingly decorated, one and two room suites provide the perfect alternative accommodations for those seniors who can no longer live on their own at home, although do not yet require 24-hour assistance or complex medical supervision.   Each suite is appointed with a kitchenette, living area, and a private bath with a walk-in shower.  Services provided to Grace residents include: three nutritious meals daily; dietary consultation by a certified dietician; housekeeping and laundry services; supervision of any necessary medications; emergency call system with on-site nurse response; social services and spiritual counseling as requested; physical fitness and wellness care; transportation to local medical appointments; on-site daily activities, worship services and off-site planned trips; and use of the facility grounds, including areas of worship, activities, and visitation.

Paul Cranmer, Executive Director of Lutheran Care at Moorestown, describes the new facility as “a place that provides peace of mind to family members.”  He explains, “Grace Assisted Living Center offers a safe and secure environment for elders to live independently.  We will provide as much or as little assistance as our residents and their families need or want us to.  Our certified professional nursing staff will continually assess the needs of our residents, and provide assistance based on each individual’s determined level of care.”  There is also a dedicated area for the memory impaired which offers added security and additional monitoring by nursing professionals certified in Dementia/Alzheimer’s care.

The Center is situated on the campus between the skilled nursing facility and rehabilitation center, known as Lutheran Home at Moorestown and Hope Rehabilitation Center, and one of Moorestown’s most famous landmarks, Breidenhart Castle.

Thursday’s celebration also included the grand re-opening of Breidenhart Castle, which recently received both an interior and exterior facelift.  The historical landmark was erected in 1894 as a private residence of Samuel Leeds Allen, inventor of the Flexible Flyer sled. He called the Tudor gothic castle “Breidenhart,” meaning “broad hearth stone” or “hospitality.”  In 1920, the home was purchased by Eldridge R. Johnson, inventor of the Victor Talking
Machine. In 1947, Johnson’s widow sold the house and its 12 landscaped acres to what was then the Lutheran Home of New Jersey. In 1961, the Home was renamed “Lutheran Home at Moorestown.”

In 1978, the building of Pennsylvania limestone and Indiana sandstone trimmings was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, the task of renovating the historical landmark began.  Today, the castle is a symbol of community spirit.  Not only does it now provide additional office space for the staff of Lutheran Care at Moorestown, but moving forward, the castle will become a center for community outreach to ensure the daily well-being of senior citizens at home.

Various officials representing the many organizations involved in the project participated in cutting the ribbon.

For more information on Grace Assisted Living Center, Breidenhart Castle or Lutheran Care at Moorestown, log onto https://www.lutherancrossings.org; If you are interested in becoming a resident of Grace Assisted Living Center and would like a tour, contact Admissions at 856.213.1214.

Lutheran Care at Moorestown is a program of Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, a faith-based, statewide not-for-profit provider of compassionate, quality senior care services, as well as community programs such as adoption, immigration & refugee resettlement, community residences for developmentally disabled women & affordable housing for seniors and families.  For more information, visit our website at https://www.lsmnj.org.