The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Senior living center strives for best care
Wesleyan Village, a senior living center at 807 West Ave. in Elyria, has evolved over time.
But the senior living center focuses on a community-driven experience in Lorain County.
“There sometimes is a negative connotation when it comes to senior living centers, but that is not Wesleyan Village,” said Kristen Jones, vice president, development and church relations at Wesleyan Village. “We seek to help our residents to continue to maintain a quality of life that they desire.”
Jones said Wesleyan Village’s
roots can be traced more than 100 years .
“We were started by Mary Lilly in 1896, who was a farmer’s wife in Dover Township, which is current
day Westlake,” she said. “It was originally called the Old Ladies Home because the original intent was to give women, whose husbands died in the Civil War, a place where someone could care for them.”
Jones said Wesleyan Village moved from its first location, on modern day East
2nd Street in Elyria, to the corner of 2nd Street and West Avenue.
“The building stood where the LifeCare garage currently is,” she said. “The center was later called the Methodist Home and moved to the Ely Mansion in 1907.
“The various moves were
always due to space and the growing desire to help more and more seniors. This was also when the center included the care for men.”
Jones said the current Wesleyan Village building no longer is in the Ely Mansion, but it still holds the history.
“Some doors and a fireplace
have been kept,” she said. “We are still on the same site of the old mansion, 807 West Ave. We also still have strong ties with the Methodist churches in the area. But we also encourage residents to come from all faiths and backgrounds.”
Jones said Wesleyan Village
has evolved.
“Senior care is more complex than when we started out,” she said. “We have to deal with the changes in health care and the fact that seniors are living longer than ever before.
“It is a tough challenge, but we strive to provide the best care to our residents.”