In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon describes old age:

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it (12:6).

The Reformed Presbyterian Home is a place where elderly people can live in safety before “the dust will return to the earth and the spirit will return to God.” It is a place where worry about “shattering the pitcher at the fountain” can be laid aside because the burden of life’s daily responsibilities is shouldered by a loving and attentive group of people who see caring for the elderly as their mission in life.

There was a period of adjustment when I came to live at the Home. It was difficult for me to leave my own home and move into a place where there are many people under one roof. After a time I came to appreciate this new way of life. Here we are given the level of the care that we need. We are relieved of doing things that we enjoyed doing when we were younger—like cooking, cleaning, and laundry—but that may have become burdensome because of diminished strength and energy.

If one’s health is good and strength is sufficient, then we can come and go as we please. If we need extra help, then it is available on an individual basis. The staff treats us with dignity and respect. When memory fails, which is common as we age, we are not criticized, but rather lovingly helped.

A benefit of living at the Home is the readily available medical care given by the Home’s staff under the direction of Dr. Fred Martin (medical director), Leslie Acevedo (nurse practitioner), and Linda Long (director of nursing). If our families cannot provide transportation to medical appointments, the Home does. When nursing care is needed, we do not have to move to another building.

One of the things I appreciate about living in the Home is the cleanliness of the whole place. The floors sparkle. In the residential unit, all of our rooms are cleaned weekly by a staff that cares for our belongings as though they were their own. In the nursing unit, the rooms are cleaned daily. Our laundry is returned to us clean the same day by staff that takes great pride in doing a good job.

For worship, residents can choose between attending the North Hills or Covenant Fellowship RPCs, which provide transportation, or attending the evening service provided in the Home chapel on the Lord’s Day.

Because of generous donations from people who care about the Home family, special trips are provided that are enjoyable, refreshing, and stimulating. Two recent trips were to West Virginia in the fall to see the beautiful leaves and to Hartwood Acres to see the Christmas light display. For those who are not able to travel, special programs and meals are provided. One of those was the Walker Christmas Dinner. That evening we were entertained by the beautiful singing of Louise Copeland and her daughters, Ann Shaw and Katie Copeland.

Every month, the residents are invited to a birthday party to honor all whose birthdays have occurred in that month. The children from Robin’s Nest (a day-care center) join us and add to the liveliness of the party. In summer, one of the most enjoyable activities is a monthly ice cream social on our fourth floor deck. Amazingly, none of the summer bugs bother us there!

As I became older, I did not want to be a burden to my children, even though all of them were willing to care for me. I have found that old age brings many unexpected health issues that, at times, are difficult to manage. Here at the Home I have found a place where I can live in safety and comfort, while being cared for by people who are trained to respond to these unexpected events and who demonstrate love in doing it.