News story about JW elderly care facility being built

Faithful Witness

Where is Salisbury Township? Who will own this residential village for elderly JW's? Spending $6.5 million to build it, housing up to 38 individuals. Rent for a single room will start at $2,900/month. Is this company legitimate? Jah-Jireh Homes of America.

Elderly care facility for Jehovah's Witnesses under construction

The Salisbury Township retirement complex will feature three 'households' to cater to residents.

By Sam Kennedy, Of The Morning Call

9:32 p.m. EDT , April 3, 2014

Bulldozers and backhoes are busy at work in Salisbury Township, clearing trees and brush to make way for a retirement complex for aging Jehovah's Witnesses.

The $6.5 million Legacy Place Cottages — to be at 2051 Bevin Drive, near the southern entrance to South Mall — will consist of two single-story buildings totaling 30,000 square feet. Serfass Construction of North Whitehall Township is overseeing the project on behalf of the nonprofit group Jah-Jireh Homes of America.

"This is an independent nonprofit that has been developing this to cater to the special needs of the community," Jah-Jireh Homes founder and Chairman Darbin T. Skeans said.

Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian group that was formed in this country in the late 1800s and is governed today by a ruling body based in Brooklyn, N.Y. They are familiar to many people through their door-to-door missionary work, responsible for distributing countless copies of "The Watchtower" and "Awake!" to homes throughout the world.

Although Christian, Jehovah's Witnesses subscribe to tenets that distinguish them from Catholics and mainstream Protestants. They reject the concept of the Trinity (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and they do not celebrate Christmas or Easter.

Skeans, of Allentown, said his mother lives in a local facility for the elderly where, for much of the year, the social calendar revolves around religious holidays. Legacy Place Cottages will be different, he said.

"The whole thing will be geared toward the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses," which means no holiday celebrations, he said. "It's really geared toward the spiritual."

Serfass Vice President Matthias Fenstermacher told The Morning Call in February that Legacy Place Cottages is a good fit for Serfass Construction — a third-generation, family-owned enterprise established in 1948 — because the company has developed a specialty in health-care-related projects. About 20 to 30 percent of its work is tied to health care, he said.

More than 20 local trades will work on the project, and as many as 50 workers will be on site on any given day during nine months of construction, according to Serfass.

The land on which Legacy Place Cottages will be built is in a residential area between the busy Auto Mile on Lehigh Street and the Little Lehigh Creek.

"The lot has been eyesore," said Chris Kinsella, who lives in a house down the street from the project.

Kinsella and his neighbors have reviewed the architectural renderings of the facility and like what they see, he said. "Our concern is that what we saw actually gets built there."

According to Skeans, Legacy Place Cottages will be comprised of three "households," one of which will specialize in "memory care" for residents with Alzheimer's or dementia.

The memory care household will be in a stand-alone building with 12 bedrooms and a maximum capacity of 14 individuals. The other two households, each with 10 rooms and a capacity of 13 individuals, will be attached through a shared kitchen.

Also distinguishing Legacy Place Cottages from other personal care facilities will be its approach to day-to-day care.

Rather than employing separate staff for different kinds of work, such as cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, it will have "universal workers" trained to do all those tasks while also attending to and interacting with residents.

"It's kind of an integrated approach. The advantage is it's a resident-centric model," Skeans said. "The caregiver sits down and eats with the residents, rather than just serving the residents."

He said single-room rent will start around $2,900 a month , which is competitive with other personal-care facilities in the area. But prices could come down in the future, he said, as Jah-Jireh Homes seeks donations to subsidize costs.

Initially, Kinsella said, he and his neighbors were worried the project would create excess storm-water runoff, but their concerns have since been addressed.

The project will include a number of provisions to protect the Little Lehigh Creek watershed, according to Fenstermacher. For example, he said, captured runoff from a sprinkler system will be used to irrigate landscaped areas.

Although, Legacy Place Cottages will be geared toward Jehovah's Witnesses, Jah-Jireh Homes is not officially affiliated with the church, which declined repeated requests for comment on the project.

Jah-Jireh's board consists of members from throughout the state and from as far as Honolulu, Hawaii.

nonjwspouse

It'ss in Pensylvania, usa. suprised?

Also, it's interesting one focus these past years revenue for the WT has been on having members donate through their wills. Hmmmm

Looks like this fits that piece of the puzzle.

So a search on the company. yes it is legit. I forgot all the details but it is suspiciously targeting the JW ...an already made target audience that will guarentee tenants. The advertisement cost is nil, it will be built in! Lots of these old people vno where else to go and all their money, as well as leaning on faithful children's funds, I suspect, will go to the homes since familial elder care is not so appreciated as a good thing in the KH - takes away from KH activities too much.

Iamallcool

I have heard of one JW nursing home in Canada.

FirstLastName

I am curious about what would happen when a non JW seeks to live there? Can they reject them and wouldnt that be discimination due to religious reasons?

I am also not sure what JW, who have spent their entire JW career, not pursuing a career, would be able to afford such a place.

I am sad, cause I bet a lot of JW's would be breathless talking about this place and a dream retirement living place, and lament the cost.

a watcher

I think this is a wonderful idea; providing a place of refuge for elderly JW's. We need more of these facilities.

AndDontCallMeShirley

I learned of this a week ago and did a lot of research into Jah-Jireh homes. Although advertised as a "charity" it is only available to "dedicated, baptized JWs in good standing". This enterprise has WT written all over it. Oh....although it's a charity, it costs as much as any other similar facility to live at. So much for being a charity. If you are not a JW, they don't let you in....period. It is staffed by JWs only. And, they abide by WT rules in every aspect. Similar to WT, residents pay top dollar for the "loving care" they receive and J-J also subsidizes with donations from JWs (just like WT).

designs

Papa Russell would be so proud sniff sniff

jam

" An indepentent nonprofit organization'" chairman D. T. Skeans.

I think it's a great idea, good for him.

But what will happen when the GB get involved.

I can see it now, only JW's who are elders and aboved, you

must have 20 years of service and make sure you have available

units for the GB members. I recall here in California a few JW schools

and look how that worked out.

The GB is like the Mafia, you can not do anything without their approval

and their share of the profit.

jam

Adcmshirley:LOL..."WT written all over it.....". That's what I thought.

OUTLAW

I think this is a wonderful idea; providing a place of refuge for elderly JW's. We need more of these facilities.....awatcher

For $3,000.00 a month..Per person..For one room??!!..

Very few JW`s will be able to afford that..

........................................................................OUTLAW

News story about JW elderly care facility being built - Rent as low as $2,900 per month!