The mission of Heritage Pointe senior living communities, with locations in Fort Wayne, Warren and Huntington, Indiana, is unlike many other senior communities. The three communities are focused on meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of residents.
“Our mission is to love people and to preach God’s word,” says Ginny Soultz, a chaplain at Heritage Pointe of Warren.
The communities are owned and operated by The United Methodist Memorial Home, an Indiana not-for-profit corporation.
Heritage Pointe communities offer levels of care including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehab.
“The communities providing residents with opportunities to connect with God guides everything we do,” Soultz says.
Not only are all faiths welcome at Heritage Pointe communities; they’re in fact embraced.
“We have residents and even our chaplains here from different denominations. That enhances our ability to worship the Lord together as a unified body of Christ,” says Soultz.
Earlier this year, 12 Catholic nuns moved from St. Anne Communities Victory Noll to Heritage Pointe of Warren, where they are beloved, and thriving. “One of our staff members who works closely with the Sisters told me…they’re always appreciative, and they make me want to be a better person’, adding, ‘the Sisters have truly touched her heart,” says Soultz.
The emphasis on providing for the spiritual solace of residents is also seen in the communities’ physical resources. For instance, Heritage Pointe of Warren has a church that isn’t just a meeting room or an afterthought but a space with all of the elements that a Christian church in the greater community would have.
“We literally have a church attached to our community,” Soultz says. Heritage Pointe of Ft. Wayne and Heritage Pointe of Huntington have shared spaces for worship.
Various chapel services, gatherings, hymn singing, praise gatherings and more, are scheduled regularly at all communities. Additionally, in-house closed-circuit tv channels feature live and recorded church services every day.
Being easily able to attend church services is one reason why Chong Krez chose to make her home at Heritage Pointe of Warren four years ago.
“I don’t have to get in my car. I just walk two minutes to go to church,” says Krez, 83.
Each of the communities has chaplains who make a point to interact daily with residents and to have a strong and faithful presence in the community. Krez likes the ability to connect with them.
“We have chaplains here seven days a week. It’s a big part of why people choose to live here,” Soultz says
Soultz agrees with Krez that Heritage Pointe’s focus on providing residents with convenient access to a church and services is essential for residents at all the communities.
“We are so fortunate that they don’t have to go out in the weather and drive to church. They can stay right here and go to church,” says Soultz.
“For people who’ve always attended church and made spirituality a part of their lives, having a faith-based community makes all the difference for them,” Soultz says. “Spirituality is in the fabric of everything we do at Heritage Pointe.”
The chaplains don’t only get to know residents through church services. They make a point to visit residents informally.
“We go to the different dining rooms to eat and get to know all the residents,” Soultz says. “We feel if we get to know residents in the happy times, they will already be comfortable with us in harder times.”
Moving to a senior living community can be a challenging time for residents. Having access to a church, regular church services, and chaplains to talk to, pray with, and laugh with can help ease that transition.
“There is an atmosphere of peace here that may be lacking at other senior living communities,” Soultz says. “People who visit say, ‘This is such a happy place.’”
Providing for residents’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs drives the staff at all Heritage Pointe communities to do their best to serve residents who crave that type of multi-dimensional care.
“I think the most important thing is that residents are coming to Heritage Pointe communities, not only to have their physical needs met at a critical time in their lives but also to have their spiritual needs met,” Soultz says.
Heritage Pointe Senior Living Communities Heritage Pointe of Warren, Heritage Pointe of Huntington, and Heritage Pointe of Ft. Wayne senior living communities are owned and operated by The United Methodist Memorial Home, an Indiana non-profit founded in 1907. For more information, visit LifeAtHeritage.org.
