Company Profile
Presbyterian Homes
Company Overview
Presbyterian Homes is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian organization with a national reputation for creating extraordinary communities for older adults for more than 100 years. Our continuing care communities offer residents not only beautifully landscaped campuses and a wealth of life-enriching activities, but an extensive program of wellness services to promote independence and good health.
Rehabilitation services are offered at the McGaw Care Center on the Westminster Place campus, Balmoral Care Center at the Lake Forest campus, the Moorings Health Center at the Moorings of Arlington Heights campus, and at the King Home Health Care Center on the downtown Evanston campus. Our rehabilitation program is open to residents of Presbyterian Homes and to the community at large.
Company History
In the early 1900s, rural family life had diminished as people flocked to cities. A growing number of older people and orphans were left without resources and homes. In Chicago, Presbyterians responded by establishing settlement houses where people could find entertainment, instruction, and worship in the spirit of Christian goodwill. The Presbyterian Homes Charter was registered in 1904 to respond to this need.
A small start was made, but the first real "home" was established in Chicago in 1914. Set on Chicago's south side, this humble, aging clapboard structure (close to what is today McCormick Place) housed six older people.
The demand grew quickly and subsequently Presbyterian Home moved to Highland Park and eventually northwest Evanston. As Presbyterian Homes grew, the mission evolved in response to changing times and needs. The program was expanded to serve older adults of all faiths and economic means. Although serving a broader population, Presbyterian Homes continues to reach out to those in financial need, spending seven million dollars annually on benevolent initiatives.
In 1985, Evanston's King Home joined the Presbyterian Homes family. In 1990, the Wilson/Sidwell Apartments opened to provide assisted living as a bridge between independent living and health care. And, in 1991, Ten Twenty Grove was added as an additional option for independent seniors.
Presbyterian Homes made its first move beyond its borders in 1994 when it launched its Neighborhood Homes Program with Lake View Place on Chicago's north side. Crowder Place opened in 1998. This program offers affordable, subsidized housing to enable older adults to remain in their communities.
In 1996, construction began on a 49-acre site in Lake Forest. This state-of-the-art retirement community - Lake Forest Place - opened in 1998 and is home to more than 400 residents. And in 2000, The Moorings of Arlington Heights - a continuing care community in the northwest suburbs - joined the Presbyterian Homes family. We recently added the Great Opportunities Adult Day Services program in Skokie to provide daytime-only support for older adults in a secure and stimulating environment.
Today, Presbyterian Homes is an award-winning organization and one of the country's oldest and most experienced providers of retirement living. We continue to honor the mission of our founders, who believed in providing joyful, engaging and spirited communities for older adults. In rehabilitation, we are guided by the Presbyterian Homes' mission to encourage older adults to experience fullness of life in community with dignity, joy and the maximum level of independence their health will allow.